


Feelings 101

by writingatlast



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Friends (TV) Fusion, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, kind of, so not rly a college au but kind of, they're university professors
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-27
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:00:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 61,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27746380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingatlast/pseuds/writingatlast
Summary: the friends au where they all work at NYU, and Emily and JJ find themselves reconnecting after 17 years. There are also mixtapes.
Relationships: Jennifer "JJ" Jareau/Emily Prentiss
Comments: 66
Kudos: 146





	1. the one with a fateful coffee shop encounter

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know if this is necessary but 
> 
> I do not own Criminal Minds or Friends or any of the songs referenced in this text.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!

_December 1988_

The night was cold, tauntingly so - just the kind of bitter chill that Emily had been warned of before setting off for her new life in New York. This was meant to be the _start_ of her life, really - the start of a life that was her own, where she didn’t have to answer to anyone else. 

She liked D.C, the buzz and importance of it, but New York was a high profile city that didn’t have her mother lurking around every corner (so she hoped anyway). The day she’d gotten her acceptance letter from Columbia she’d already had her bags packed.

The point was, she’d moved to New York because it was the city that never sleeps, not the city that froze your toes off. It was nights like these that coffee houses shone like beacons of warmth to the swarm of shivering students outside. They flocked to them like moths to a flame - which only made Emily’s night more of an ordeal. 

She’d been in the city for three months now, working at the coffee house for two. To say she hadn’t quite found her footing yet would be kind. She’d just finished balancing the assortment of plates and cups from a vacated table when a shriek of laughter sent the whole ensemble flying. The almighty smash covered up her _fuck off!_ (Directed at the plates, not the people - though she was getting there). 

She only had fifteen minutes left before closing. God, she hated when people insisted on coming in this late. She’d hoped to start cleaning already. In fact, she’d already turned her Walkman on in preparation, the beats of _Blue Monday_ vibrating through her body.

She looked up to locate the culprits behind her smashed plates. Usually it was her own fault, but this time she wasn’t taking the blame for it. That was what she’d try to tell her manager anyway. How many smashed plates before it warrants firing? Any one of them could have been the winning one. 

A gang of teens filtered into the coffee house, all bundled up and heaving a collective sigh of relief once the warmth wrapped around them. They looked about Emily’s age, could have been college students. Still, there was an air of excitement and wonder around them that wouldn’t be present on the faces of students at this time of year, at this time of night - not when there were deadlines to meet and exams to study for before the Christmas break. 

They were made up of four girls, two blondes and two brunettes, all giggling as they removed their coats and scarfs and hats and gloves. Well, all but one. 

One of the blondes seemed hesitant to remove her many layers, hovering by the door while the other sauntered in, heading right for the table Emily was cleaning. It was almost as if they didn’t see her, like a girl on her hands and knees in an apron was invisible. Emily didn’t know whether to be offended or proud; if her mother could only see her now.

“Come on JJ, sit down!” one of the girls commanded as she threw herself down onto the biggest couch in the room.

The hesitant looking blonde (JJ, it appeared) didn’t move.

“I don’t know, guys, it’s getting late. Shouldn’t we just grab something to go and head back to the hotel? We’ve got an early train back. Besides -”

She tried not to meet Emily’s gaze as she added, “I’m sure they’re wanting to get cleaned up in here.”

 _Was this girl an angel?_ Emily wondered, also trying not to meet her gaze. 

“Come on, JJ!” the first girl iterated, this time louder, as if that was substitution for a valid argument. 

One of the brunettes stepped in, who had sat herself down next to her friend. “Look, JJ it’s fine. This is a business, they want money.”

JJ rolled her eyes. “I said we’d still get takeout,” she muttered to herself, knowing it wouldn’t make a difference. 

She groaned and made her way to join them, defeated. She sent Emily an apologetic look as she stepped past her, avoiding the broken shards. This time there was no avoiding glances, and their eyes met very deliberately. 

_Wow._ Emily hoped she hadn’t said that out loud but she couldn’t be sure. Staring back at her were the most beautiful blue eyes she’d ever seen - helped by the fact that they were swimming with kindness and affection. She usually found blue eyes overrated, but not these ones. But of course, what did she expect from the eyes of an angel? 

One of the girls announced that she’d have a coffee and a muffin, apparently now aware of Emily’s presence. Emily considered turning her music up and pretending she couldn’t hear her, but decided against it. She’d chosen to have this job, was holding onto it by a thread. She was making a point to her mother and she wasn’t about to throw away all her hard work mopping up coffee stains on these people. 

Emily took out her earphones and plastered on a smile before making her way behind the counter to make the drinks. She heard her manager muttering to himself in the back, still sorting through paperwork. She busied herself with cleaning some dishes while she waited for the kettle to boil. She dropped a plate (into a water filled sink this time, thank god) when someone knocked on the counter behind her. 

She turned to find the blonde angel (JJ) smiling at her.

“Sorry about this,” she said in a hushed voice, leaning over the counter, “I’ll try to get them to down their drinks.”

Emily smiled down at the dish in her hand, glad she had something else to focus on other than the girl in front of her. 

“No worries, honestly.” 

She glanced up to find JJ giving her a look that said she knew that wasn’t the case. “You here on your own?”

Emily nodded towards the back office. “Manager’s sorting through paperwork right now. I might have to lock him in when I leave.”

JJ let out a giggle and Emily thought it was the most goddamn beautiful sound she’d ever heard. 

“Well I can help you clean all that up if you’d like?” she nodded towards the pile of dishes in the sink. “Seeing as you’re on your own and we just disturbed your cleanup.” 

Emily tried very hard to push down the butterflies erupting in her stomach. “Um, well it’s technically against company policy.”

JJ raised her eyebrows. 

“But seeing as my manager is otherwise occupied…”

JJ all but leaped over the counter, nearly knocking into Emily. She could see her friends frown in their direction before returning to their high-speed conversation. 

“Hey, seeing as I’m doing your work for you, would you mind making me a tea?”

Emily bit her lip. “I think I could swing that.”

A minute or so passed before Emily found the nerve to speak again. “So, you just here on a trip?” She tried desperately to sound nonchalant. 

“Yeah,” JJ replied, back to Emily as she cleaned. “Last night of a special birthday trip for my _friend._ ” She said that word as if she didn’t believe in it. “We were also checking out colleges, we’re thinking of coming here next year.”

Emily’s heart rate spiked. 

“Oh really? NYU? Columbia?”

“Not sure yet, I’ll be thankful to get in anywhere honestly. I’m hoping to get a scholarship somewhere.”

“Oh that’s great, for what?”

“Soccer,” JJ supplied and the tone in her voice told Emily she was proud of this achievement. 

_God, an angel and a sports star?_ Emily was a goner. 

They chatted a little more as Emily got the drinks ready and JJ finished drying the dishes. She then returned to the other side of the counter, Emily already missing the closeness. She set her bag on the counter and starting rummaging through it to find her purse. 

“You paying for it all?” Emily asked.

JJ rolled her eyes. “Yeah, we try to take turns, although my friends seem to have misplaced their purses on more than one occasion. Ironic as I’m the one with the least money.” She seemed to catch herself with that last comment, knowing she’d revealed too much.

Emily felt her face fall, and anger boiled up at the thought of anyone treating JJ like that. She was about to speak when she noticed the item that JJ had just removed from her bag in order to find her purse. 

“Hey, I’ve got the exact same model!” she couldn’t stop herself from exclaiming. 

JJ threw her head up, looking to the Walkman that she’d just placed there.

“Oh really? I just got mine for my last birthday I go everywhere with it!”

“Me too!” Emily took her own out from her pocket. “This was going to be my company for the night before something better turned up.”

“Something better?” JJ arched an eyebrow.

“Yeah, way more stimulating.”

Both of their eyebrows flew up, mouths hung slightly open.

“The - the conversation!” Emily spluttered, “I meant the conversation with you was more stimulating! Oh god.” 

Maybe she _didn’t_ want to see this girl again.

But JJ just smirked and finally presented her purse. “Glad to be of service.”

Emily let out a sigh and collected herself, setting her own Walkman down on the counter. She put the order through and JJ frowned when she looked at the bill after. “Uh you forgot my tea.”

“On the house,” Emily smiled, “Just make sure they pay you back for theirs.”

JJ grinned, the hint of a blush on her cheeks. “Well my generous tip seems silly now.”

“Well,” Emily started, her voice shaking slightly, “you, eh, you could pay me back someday, maybe.” 

JJ opened her mouth to answer when one of the girls went running past them and out into the street. They gave each other one confused look before the others went speeding after her.

“Oh god,” JJ groaned, “She’s either ran out to be sick or she thinks she’s seen a celebrity again.”

Emily chortled. “Those are more common in L.A.”

“Yeah tell her that. I’m sorry, as the responsible one here I have to go after her.”

“Yeah, no worries,” Emily replied. 

Maybe that had been a welcome intervention - the universe saving her from a rejection. 

JJ gave her one last warm smile; one that Emily couldn’t help think said ‘I hope we meet again.’ The blonde angel grabbed her Walkman and just like that she was gone.

And Emily was left with an empty room. The moment she’d been waiting for all night had finally arrived, she should have been thankful. But all she was was disappointed. She went through her usual routine of cleaning up and dragging her manager out of his office so they could lock up, although feeling a new kind of lethargic - not a physical tiredness. 

It was only that night, when she was lying in bed and the unexpected voice of Bruce Springsteen flooded through her earphones, that she realised. 

This was not her Walkman.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So yes I have started a new series again, but! I'm really excited about this one. I may have already written chapter 2.... I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing. 
> 
> Also classing it as a 'friends au' may be a bit of a stretch. It started that way, and I will be using certain episodes as a guide moving forward, but clearly it's not as strict a following. 
> 
> Songs: 
> 
> Blue Monday - New Order (e)  
> Dancing In the Dark - Bruce Springsteen (j)


	2. the one with all the accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily's first day at a new job is not going according to plan.

_17 years later_

_September 2005_

The ground was awash in the most vibrant colour of orange, like a tapestry, the collective crunching as students ran over it emitting like a chorus. The air itself was crisp, enough to wake anyone up - and making their gourmet coffees clutched in gloved hands even more superfluous. 

Emily herself knew this, though she still clutched to her own, savoring its warmth. She’d opted not to wear gloves this morning, underestimating the cold. Red fingers and bitten down nails were on full display, not thanking her for the decision. 

She kept her head down as she maneuvered through the campus towards her destination. Students were running left and right like headless chickens, most on foot, but the odd individual zooming past on a skateboard – only to go flying into a pile of leafs. They laughed it off, relishing in the zeal of life. Others looked lost, desperately trying to decipher a vulgar sized map with writing that required a magnifying glass. Emily tried to drown it all out, letting the melancholy melodies of _Joy Division_ wash over her. 

Just as she turned the volume up on her iPod something collided into the side of her head. 

_Fuck._ She just managed to catch her footing so as not to degrade herself to the same level as a stoned skateboarder. She lifted a hand to her head as she felt it throb. _Was this a sign or something? Great start to her first day._

Before she could fully adjust herself a hulk of a man came bounding up to her, hands outstretched in apology. He looked too old to be a student, unless he was a very mature one. Could he be a lecturer? He was wearing a baseball cap - backwards - which didn’t bode well.

“Aw man I’m so sorry! These kids need to up their receiving game! You okay?”

 _No shit,_ Emily thought but managed to grumble out a “Yeah, just watch out next time.” 

The man gave her a salute and flashed a dazzling smile. She considered throwing the ball in the other direction before tossing it back to him.

“Nice meeting you!” he called, as he ran back to join what looked like a group of students, the correct age. She narrowed her eyes. 

With her earphones dislodged, the music from a distant speaker became apparent: electric guitar and a very upbeat voice, something about a ‘dirty secret.’ It was nothing she’d heard of. She promptly shoved her earphones back in place.

She’d already made herself familiar with the campus, been given the tour and shown her office. Nonetheless, there was no doubt that there was a different atmosphere now the place was crawling with students; the whole campus felt alive.  
She swiftly made her way towards the languages building, eager to avoid another projectile to the head.

She smiled politely at fellow members of staff as she passed, taking the elevator up to her top floor office. It was exactly how she’d left it the day before: pristine and prepared for use. She shucked off her long black woolen coat and hung it on the rack by the door. She then heaved her hefty briefcase up onto her desk and started to unpack. 

Nearly all of her work had gone home with her. She liked to have something to occupy her mind at all hours of the evening, specifically at night in fact. She’d spent the previous night checking her lecture notes at 4am. She hoped her makeup had sufficiently covered up the rings under her eyes. She didn’t have time to perfect it when she’d haphazardly rolled out of bed this morning. Maybe she should just sleep at her office. She’d see how things progressed. 

She’d selected a red turtleneck this morning – a splash of colour for her first day. In all honestly it had been between red, blue and dark green. The rest of her wardrobe was awash with black and grey. She’d stood in front of the mirror switching out the three colours for the five minutes that she did not have. She had just happened to be holding the red when she noticed the time and threw it on before tackling her bedhead hair. Tossing and turning all night had given the impression that she’d had _far_ more fun last night than she really had. 

Emily was someone who liked to be organised. Someone who considered being on time late. The fact that she was an insomniac was somewhat counterintuitive to this ethos. Unfortunately, it just meant that she skipped breakfast most days and - with the exception of today - spent little time picking out an outfit. It helped that most of her clothes were very similar. 

She spent the little time she had in the morning to make herself presentable and professional: light makeup, brushed down hair, brushed teeth. No time for luxuries like food or reading the paper. Although she’d usually already skimmed through it at 3am. And of course, she was strictly a night shower person, sometimes a bath if she was feeling in the mood. Saturday night, soaking in the tub with lit candles around the edges, maybe a good book - that was the most luxurious she ever felt. 

She might even have the melodies of a particular Walkman playing; in all honesty it was the only thing guaranteed to calm her down. Some nights, when it was clear nothing else would lull her to sleep, she just lay there all night, listening. After 17 years she knew all the songs by heart. 

Emily snapped herself out of her thoughts, as another person walked past her door and offered a hello and a ‘welcome to the family!’ She forced out a smile, just glad they hadn’t thrown a football at her head (Although she was better equipped to deal with that. At least a scowl had been the appropriate response there).

Emily didn’t know what to expect from this job. She was hoping for some peace. Saying that, anything after her past line of work should be incredibly mundane in comparison. That was what she was striving for. She didn’t need any drama. If she could get through this day with as little small talk as possible and no more footballs to the head she’d call it a success. 

She finished off her coffee and glanced out the window, appreciating the view her office granted. It looked across the expanse of Washington Square Park, which was still teeming with students making their way in for morning classes. Well, some were heading inside, eager to flood their brains with knowledge. Others were stood chatting underneath the colossal roman arch, seemingly with no intention to move. On the other side of the spectrum, a handful of students were playing in the fountain, splashing each other like 6 year olds and not the 17/18 years olds they actually were. 

She spotted the man who’d very nearly concussed her, stuck in what looked like a headlock by what _had_ to be a student. She could see from here that he was smiling and a second later he escaped the hold easily and tripped the boy up before running away laughing. He turned around, lifting his hands up in what looked like an apology, and pointing to his watch. Prompted, Emily checked her own. Sure enough, it was time to get to class. 

Wondering if the man-child would be one of her students (praying he wasn’t) she collected her things and made her way out. She ensured to lock her office door, not that there was much reason to. It was a habit. 

Thankfully her first class was only in the building next door so she didn’t have far to walk. In all honestly, she’d already timed the walk to all her lecture halls, so as not to be late. Being an insomniac with a record of sleeping in, she’d learned to know exactly how much time things took. 

The elevator doors were just opening, and Emily thought how perfect the timing was as she picked up the pace to reach them before they closed. However, in her haste she tripped over the heels she wasn’t used to wearing. In that split second a very gangly looking mad scientist man rushed past her, and dove into the elevator before her. It looked like there had only been room for one person – who would have been Emily. Unfortunately the space was now packed and Emily grumbled, resigning herself to waiting for the next one. Which seemed to take longer than the usual time. Someone must have been stopping at every floor.

Five minutes later she was stepping back outside and the cold wind slapped her in the face. Despite the short walk to the next building, she almost wished she’d taken her jacket. Eager to reclaim some warmth, and trying not to trip again, she hurried into the building without looking where she was going - and promptly collided with the person walking out of it.

A splash of heat seeped through to her chest. Well, she _had_ wanted warmth. 

She threw her head up, an apology on her lips. 

The word caught in her throat as she met the glittering blue eyes of the woman opposite her. Wavy blonde hair reaching down to her hips, soft tan skin, and a surprised yet warm smile - she was stunning, there was no other word for it. She also looked familiar. Like she’d met her before. Almost like…. _God Emily, get a grip. She isn’t your Soulmate or something. And if she was, you did NOT just spill coffee all over her._

“Whoa that’s a wake up call!” 

The woman was laughing, which Emily was thankful for, but she remained unable to join. 

While the woman’s eyes had mesmerised her, her attention had been drawn to her shirt, which was covered in her drink and now very much see through. She was wearing a blue sports bra, but it might as well have been lingerie. Coming back to herself, Emily shook her head and met the woman’s gaze again, pretending she hadn’t just been blatantly staring. 

“I am so sorry,” she apologised profusely - for the spillage or the staring she wasn’t sure. 

The woman waved her off. “I always expect a disaster on the first day back. This just means the rest of my day should be plain sailing.”

Still trying very hard to keep her eyes level with the woman, Emily continued to scramble. “God no, you’ve got to let me buy you another…”

“Tea,” the woman supplied, seemingly amused by Emily’s flustered nature. The staring really hadn’t gone unnoticed.

Emily nodded curtly. “Tea, yes, absolutely. I’ll get you one right now.”

Emily made to locate the nearest drinks stand, eager to turn her back on the woman and her soaked attire. A hand reached out to stop her.

“Don’t be silly, it was an accident, and it seems like you have somewhere to be.”

Fuck. She’d nearly forgotten. Luckily she’d left in enough time she shouldn’t be late. But her jumper, while not quite provocative, was still heavily stained. _Great first impression that would be._

She ran a hand through her thick hair, feeling a headache coming on. God, what was this morning? First the football to the head, then the elevator, now this. What a series of accidents. It was like the universe was out to get her.

“I’ll have to go grab my coat.”

The woman raised her eyebrows. “First lecture?”

“Yeah,” Emily grimaced. 

“Well good luck.” 

Despite the situation, it didn’t seem like a malicious offering. Like she really hoped, or even believed, that Emily’s first lecture could still be something other than a disaster. 

And despite the situation, Emily smiled. “Thanks. What about you?” 

She tried to gesture to her shirt without looking. 

The woman shrugged. “I have a friend who’s always prepared for these situations. Besides, I’m not teaching.”

“Em, okay? That’s good.”

A hand reached out to rest upon Emily’s arm, and she almost flinched. Why was this woman getting closer to her after she’d just all but ruined both of their mornings? If anything, she should be running in the opposite direction as fast as she can.

“Honestly don’t worry about it,” the woman assured with a squeeze to Emily’s arm. “You get to your lecture. You can pay me back another time. Although -” 

She paused, regarding Emily with a look that made her feel like _she_ was the one exposed. “I think this makes us even.” 

A smile and a wink and she was gone, brushing past Emily and disappearing into the crowd like a mirage. 

It was with those last words that Emily was hit with a memory, like a sucker punch. 

She _had_ recognised that face. Those eyes. 

_No way._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't want to wait to post this so here we are! The next chapter unfortunately will not be so speedy.
> 
> songs:
> 
> love will tear us apart - joy division  
> dirty little secret - the all-american rejects


	3. the one that's definitely all a dream, right?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ was having the perfect, normal morning. Until a spilled cup of tea changed everything.

JJ’s day had started out like any other. In fact, it had the promise of being particularly pleasant. The start of a new year at NYU, the end of a rather disappointing summer, and nothing but blue painting the sky - she had a good feeling about this year. The weather was beautiful, chilly but not freezing, and not a grey cloud in sight: the perfect running conditions. 

She tried to start every few days with a run, but on the morning of a new term it was a must. She loved running. It cleared her head, was a healthy outlet for her frustrations, and of course, kept her fit. She missed her days of playing soccer and being part of a team, but this was a fine substitute. 

Her usual route around central park took exactly 45 minutes, so she shouldn’t be late for work. In all honesty running _to_ work would be more convenient, but she didn’t like getting changed there. The thought of the very students she gave advice to every day seeing her applying her makeup and doing her hair – well, it didn’t feel professional. She had male coworkers who didn’t have the same hang ups, but of course they didn’t have as much to tend to. 

The sights around her made her smile. Two kids were skipping arm in arm with their backpacks making them look like little turtles, a man was rollerblading with his frenzied dog over the bridge, and a girl was trying to eat a pastry and down her coffee at once, all while _The Way It Is_ played through JJ’s earphones. 

She’d selected one of her old playlists for today, having woken up with a feeling of nostalgia she couldn’t quite place. As she rounded one of the ponds and started her journey back, a new song drifted into her ears. She smiled, and picked up the pace to match _Age of Consent by New Order._ It was one of the songs from her special playlist: the selection of songs she’d transferred from The Walkman. Most of those songs were saved exclusively for secluded listening, alone in her room, for falling asleep to. They felt too intimate to let outside the walls of her room. There were only a few more upbeat ones she’d decided to add to her running playlist. 

She found herself glad of her playlist selection this morning. It was just the comfort that she needed. 

“Whoa watch out senior citizen, athlete passing through!”

The words rang over her music and JJ snapped her head behind her. She was met with the sight of a beaming Derek Morgan racing towards her. He was in his usual running attire: black muscle shirt and shorts and a backwards baseball cap. 

JJ rolled her eyes as he caught up to her, removing her earphones. 

“So much for my peaceful morning run,” she said, jokingly. 

Derek guffawed at her, jogging on the spot. “Yeah, imagine my surprise to find my running buddy had left without me!”

“You were late!”

Derek shrugged, still jogging. “Yeah, well I still managed to catch up didn’t I? Seriously you’re lagging.”

It was JJ’s turn to guffaw and she spared him one mischievous smile before tearing away down the path. 

“Race you back to the building!” She called, voice getting lost to the crowd.

Derek shook his head, laughing, before setting after her. “Oh it’s on Barbie.”

JJ beat Derek by a few paces, although he claimed she cheated when she pointed out one of his one-night stands across the street (who was not there) to distract him.

“Hey, not my fault you’re not focused!” she’d replied. “You going up?” She gestured to their building they’d stopped at the steps of.

Derek shook his head while he started stretching out his arms. “Nah, I’m gonna run the rest of the way there. Wasn’t exactly challenged this morning.”

JJ gave him the finger and waved him goodbye, making her way up the steps. 

Derek Morgan was certainty one of her male coworkers who didn’t mind changing at work - far from it. And she knew more than one or two individuals who didn’t mind him doing so. 

It had been shaping out to be a normal, pleasant morning. Everything was as it should be, expected. 

All until she stepped outside the building she’d been grabbing tea from and collided into something completely unexpected. And she found herself face to face with a memory so distant, yet somehow always at the back of her mind. 

After 17 years it should have faded, maybe details had. She replayed it so much in her mind, trying to remember fine details, that she couldn’t be sure what was real about it anymore. What had been true and what had she conjured up after all this time? It had gotten to the point where she even wondered if any of it had been real. But she had the songs as a keepsake, to prove that the encounter hadn’t just been some fanciful dream she’d made up. 

That night had been so hectic, getting her friends back to the hotel in one piece, that she’d passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. The next morning hadn’t been much better, herding her friends out of the room while they complained of their hangovers, and getting them to the train station on time. She’d only realised the mistake when she’d gotten a moments peace when the train started to move and her friends passed out. She’d been met with the sounds of synth pop that certainly weren’t in her collection. 

Her first instinct had been to turn back. But she couldn’t. They were headed back to Pennsylvania and it wasn’t like she’d be passing through New York anytime soon. She’d been saving up for this trip for what felt like a year. Funnily enough the short time she’d spent at the coffee house last night had been the best of the entire week. Her parents were not going to fund a trip back to New York to hang around a coffee house in hopes of returning a Walkman to a stranger. She had no way of contacting this girl in the days before the Internet. 

All she could do was hold onto the songs in that little black box, and hope that one-day fate would bring them together again - to return a lost piece of property to its rightful owner. No other reason. 

And so here she was, with that very real dream girl tripping over her words right in front of her, offering to buy her another tea. Suddenly all of the details she’d tried so hard to recreate were crystal clear: deep brown eyes full of intellect and kindness, pale, smooth skin, full red lips (though signs of anxiety induced biting prevalent). Her 17-year-old dream was very real. _Emily_ was real.

JJ wasn’t quite sure what happened to her in that moment. Maybe it was an adrenaline rush, her body just deciding to take over, shoving her frazzled mind that raced with questions and anxiety to the side. And she found herself conversing casually; as if this was just a random stranger she’d bumped into. Nobody special, which couldn’t have been further from the truth. 

She maneuvered through the interaction with charm and ease, feeling like she was having an out of body experience. Like she was floating above, screaming silently while this charming woman below her took the reigns. She felt herself rest her hand upon Emily’s arm, a spark igniting as she made contact. She found herself winking and offering that teasing parting comment (proving she knew exactly who she was) before letting herself check out. 

It was only after, when she’d turned her back on the woman and felt the cold air on her face that she felt herself return to her body. An almighty breath expelled from her, like she was deflating. 

_This wasn’t real, right? This is totally a dream, right?_ Her mind was spinning, she felt light-headed. Was she having a mental break? She couldn’t think of any particular trigger for one, but that had to be what was happening, right? She’d dreamed of an encounter like this one too many times to count over the past 17 years, so how could she be sure this was actually happening, and she wasn’t still sleeping? For lack of a better idea, she pinched herself. And let out a yelp. Okay, so not dreaming. Christ, what a year this was turning out to be? She shook her head and looked to her watch. And all before 9.00am. 

At least she had a task to focus on: get changed out of this stained shirt. God, this girl always had to leave her mark in some way, didn’t she? She laughed at the thought – _may as well if I’m going mad,_ JJ said to herself. 

Luckily she didn’t have any appointments until mid morning. She’d just been planning on getting herself organised until then, reading emails, of which there were always a mountain of on the first day back. Most of them could be ignored but there was always the odd important one about protocols that she couldn’t afford to miss. Anyhow, she had time to deal with this unexpected mess.

The response from Penelope Garcia on seeing her soaked shirt was entirely expected. 

“Oh, JJ, didn’t anyone tell you, hot girl summer has well and truly left us.”

JJ rolled her eyes as she flopped herself down onto the couch opposite her best friend. It was nearly as comfy as the couch in their apartment, well used from the many lunches and tea breaks they convened for here. 

Penelope’s office was like a secret corner of campus, buried deep in the IT department, access only permitted to those deemed worthy – was what Penelope liked to say, although the truth was most people just called if they were in need of her service. Nonetheless, it meant she was free to design the space in her minds eye, decorating it with colour and throws and pillows and the hundreds of knick-knacks that lined her desk. There were also fairy lights hanging off her very sophisticated computer system – too sophisticated it seemed for a university. JJ never asked. Sometimes it was better not to with Penelope Garcia. 

“I ran into someone and spilled my tea,” JJ explained, as she got up to make sure the door was locked. “You have something I can borrow?”

“Honey you know you’re always welcome to my collection.” 

She gestured to the box she kept in the corner, full of spare clothes for any occasion. Penelope was somewhat accident-prone and had learned from her mistakes to always be prepared. _‘You never know who you’re gonna see!’_ was her motto.

After JJ thanked her and went to rummage through the box, Penelope straightened in her chair. JJ could feel her watching her. 

“What?” she asked, throwing her head over her shoulder.

She was met with a mischievous smirk. “So who was this mystery tea spiller? They cute? Come on I want details.”

JJ groaned and grabbed a blue striped shirt near the top. “God, Garcia you’re insatiable. Stop trying to set me up!”

“Well someone has to be trying! After that disaster of a summer, you deserve some good lovin’.” She winked and JJ chose that moment to switch shirts. 

“It was nobody special,” she mumbled as she did the buttons up. _Lie._

“I will be the judge of that,” Penelope declared. “Did they at least offer to buy you another one?”

JJ stiffened, which did not go unnoticed. 

“They did! Ooh, when’s the wedding?”

“Garcia!”

Penelope pouted, swiveling round back to her screens. 

JJ sighed. “Look, I’m sorry for shouting, but I don’t want to date anyone right now, okay? I think we should just let things develop _naturally._ If something happens, it happens.”

Penelope huffed. “Fine. But really, were they cute?”

JJ put on a laugh, trying her best to sound casual. “God, no, some creepy guy in the business department. Just my luck.”

Penelope matched her disgusted expression and seemed content with the lie. JJ straightened out her shirt, tucking it into her trousers. It was a bit big on her but she could make it work. She then checked her hair in the mirror Penelope had placed on her desk. 

“And how was my sculpted god this morning?”

JJ snorted. “Modest as ever.”

Penelope had the end of her pen between her teeth, staring into space. “Oh I do wish my love for him was able to overpower my hatred of morning runs.”

JJ stood and snapped her fingers in front of her friend, jolting her back to reality. “You gave it a go.”

Penelope shuddered. “We do not speak of that day. Never again.” 

JJ patted her on the shoulder and with one final thank you left her to her work. As she made her way towards her office she couldn’t help but wonder if she’d run into Emily again today. Or even catch a glimpse of her. She wondered what she was doing at that very moment. 

She hoped her first class went well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, yes, hello, so I appear to be on a roll ??? I'm sorry but I cannot guarantee that I'll have the next chapter out within two days again. I fear I am setting myself up for disappointment. Anyway, I shall see you when I see you!
> 
> Also, I could write for Penelope all day.
> 
> songs: 
> 
> the way it is by bruce hornsby  
> age of consent by new order


	4. the one where 'you can't sit with us!'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a week of hiding Emily and JJ are flung together yet again.

An insistent beeping tore Emily out of her dream. She groaned. It had been a good one. Sighing, she rolled over to switch the alarm off on her phone. As she did the Walkman that had been rested on her chest all night fell to the floor. Another groan. It was still playing, _Don’t Dream, It’s Over,_ sifting through the air. How very apt. How it still played after all these years at all, never mind for a full night, she didn’t know. 

She really couldn’t be sure of anything anymore. 

She’d fallen into a dream of blonde hair and kind smiles, comforting touches. It had been a week since the tea incident. Every day since she’d kept a watchful eye out, scouring campus for any sign of the blonde. She’d even found excuses to make the trip to that specific building for her coffee breaks – even if she wasn’t scheduled classes anywhere near it that day. And nothing. Not one glimpse of the girl. The woman. JJ. 

Could it be that she’d imagined the whole thing? Of course the event had occurred, she had the tea stained turtleneck to prove it, put through the wash two times. But what if it hadn’t been her, just someone with a striking resemblance? And her sleep-deprived brain had conjured up the image of a girl she’d been dreaming of all these years. Dreams seeping into reality. But then there had been those words. _I think this makes us even._ She hadn’t imagined that, had she?

She shook her head. Enough. She had another day of work ahead of her. 

Emily’s first class hadn’t gone quite to plan - not entirely a disaster but not as she’d hoped. She’d spent it bundled up in her winter coat, students frowning at her odd attire, asking her if she was cold. Perhaps they thought she had a medical condition. It didn’t help that she was distracted; thinking every flash of blonde hair in the audience was _her._ They probably thought she was plagued by nerves, which was incredibly amusing. If they only knew what she considered anxiety inducing after all the situations she’d found herself in over the years. Teaching spoken contemporary French (or FREN-UA 101 as the handbook called it) to a group of mostly gormless 18 year olds? Well it wasn’t exactly a challenge for her. Still, she was battling a lot more than what was in front of her in her mind. By her third class she was wondering if she’d had a mental break. She still was, really.

And so she forced herself out of the warm cocoon of her bed, ready to restore her reputation as a capable, confident professor of French at New York University. 

Her new outlook (and determination to shove thoughts of blonde hair and blue eyes firmly out of her mind) served her well. Her morning lectures flew by smoothly. She presented herself as charismatic and proficient, even getting a few laughs at a joke she told in French. She was both pleased with herself and pleased they had understood it; she couldn’t be sure most of the time, with the way they stared blankly at her, and not even at all, if they could. 

A few students, a group of girls, even came up to ask her some questions at the end of the lecture. The swell of pride she felt as she turned around to meet the nervous eyes of three girls, wanting to seek further guidance from her, well it caught her off guard. She’d been so uncertain of this job. She knew she needed something quiet after everything, but would it be enough for her? Would it fulfill her? Hearing the genuine expressions of thanks and seeing the beaming smiles from her students, she thought maybe it would do just fine. 

The second week was proving to be a lot calmer. The excitement and/or horror of the first week had died down and students were coming out of their hangover hazes. Other’s anxiety was dwindling somewhat, learning that university maybe wasn’t the scariest, most life-changing thing in the world. She saw less and less students racing about campus, a hesitant shuffle far more apparent. Of course there was still the odd individual clinging to bouts of energy. She wondered how long that would last. 

Emily herself felt like she was emerging from her own haze: a haze of blonde hair and blue eyes. She’d spent her first week flip-flopping between seeking her out and hiding in her office. No matter what, her every action was centered around her. It was silly. And so just like the students emerging from their hangovers and seeing the light of day, she’d decided to escape from the hold that dream had had on her. She was going to go through her days as normal. In all honestly she probably would have chosen to eat lunch in her office regardless. But she felt like making a point. It was for this reason that she found herself walking into Kimmel Marketplace (the best place to eat on campus, she’d been told by a few colleagues and students alike). Her head was held high, her posture immaculate. No more hiding. 

She spent a while examining the menus hanging overhead different stalls, deciding what to try. By far the most popular stall seemed to be the one with the sign hanging above declaring in large orange letters TACO TUESDAY. She looked around a little more, not seeing anything else that struck her fancy. By the time she’d made it back round to the taco stall the queue had died down significantly. _May as well,_ she thought, and stepped in behind the two people waiting.

* * *

JJ was starving - which she assumed her past two students were well aware of too, given her grumbling stomach. She hadn’t had a chance to have breakfast that morning, which was unusual for her. Breakfast was her favourite meal of the day in fact. She liked to get up early, have a quick snack before her morning run and return for a full breakfast: cereal, eggs, toast, pancakes - whatever struck her fancy that day. Penelope usually trudged out of bed just as she was serving it up.

But that morning she had slept through her alarm. She’d only done so twice before in her life – once when she’d had the flu and another time when Penelope and Derek had dragged her out drinking. Last night she couldn’t blame either. She’d been unable to get to sleep, the usual aid of The Walkman only making her more anxious. 

She hadn’t been able to shift the thought of the brunette and her deep brown eyes all week. She’d tried to return to the building every day but there was never a sign of her. She tried to guess where her office was, hanging around the languages department, as she recalled that was what Emily said she’d been studying at University. It was at that point - when she found herself loitering outside the building, getting suspicious looks from colleagues asking if she needed help - that she decided to let go. It was silly. She decided to move on, to continue like everything was normal. 

She currently found herself being dragged into Kimmel Marketplace by a very insistent Penelope, chattering away. Yes, everything was normal. 

“You _cannot_ skip breakfast, JJ, look at you! There’s nothing of you, you’re going to faint! Can’t be shaping the minds of tomorrow flat on the floor, can you?”

JJ sighed but let her go on. It was easier that way. 

It was Taco Tuesday, so of course there was no debate as to where they’d be getting lunch. JJ’s eyes were a bit glazed over, the people in front of her foggy in her state of hunger. Her blood sugar was low and she had to admit she feared she might fall over if Penelope wasn’t holding her up. She felt herself be dragged into the queue by the taco stall and her friend asked her what she’d like. 

“The usual,” she gave lazily, her eyes trying to focus on the sight in front of her. 

The person, to be exact. Oh god.

Sleek black hair falling down a turtleneck jumper – green this time. She didn’t know how she knew it was her. It could have been any number of people from this angle. But she just knew. 

Emily was in front of her in the queue. A mere breath away. All of a sudden she felt wide-awake.

“You know what Pen,” she coughed and turned away swiftly, trying to muffle her voice. “You’re right, I’m feeling shaky, I’m going to go grab us a table.”

Penelope gave her a sympathetic look and rubbed her arm. “You gonna make it without an escort?”

JJ rolled her eyes and, as quick as she could manage, headed out to find a table. She felt herself exhale once she stepped out onto the balcony, breathing in the cool fall air. She then let herself have one hesitant look over her shoulder. There she was, clear as day. Emily was standing right in front of Penelope, conversing with the vendor and hands gesturing to the ingredients she’d like. There was an elegance about her that hadn’t been present the two times they’d encountered. A calmness. _God JJ. You think this woman looks elegant ordering a taco? You’re in deep._

* * *

“I’ll take some sauce too, thank you.”

Emily finished up her order and retrieved her purse from her bag. All of a sudden there was a sneeze from behind that made her jump. She turned to find the most colourful woman she’d ever seen. 

“Bless you,” she said out of habit.

The colourful woman beamed. “Thank you!”

Emily smiled in return before facing the vendor again. The woman seemed kind. She could tell that from a single, seemingly futile interaction. Some people you could get a read of like that, even if she hadn’t been in the line of work she had. But she had to admit she’d become something of an expert at it over the years. 

Once she’d paid and retrieved her food she turned to face the room. It seemed so large now, and most of the tables were already full. The people at the table closest to her had brought their own speaker to play some techno pop music she’d yet again never heard of. Perhaps she would be eating in her office again. She hovered for a minute or so, debating. She was about to head out when there was a hand on her shoulder. 

“Are you new here?”

She turned to find the colourful woman beaming at her again. 

“That obvious huh?” Emily laughed, though feeling a bit embarrassed. 

“Just a little. I’m Penelope, I work in the IT department.”

“Emily, French.”

“Pleasure to meet you Emily. It’s pretty packed in here, isn’t it?”

Emily nodded. “Yeah, I was just heading back to my office.”

The colourful woman gasped in horror. “Oh no, that won’t do. Here.”

Emily all of a sudden found her arm being taken a hold of, and swiftly linked with the other woman. “You’re sitting with us.”

Before she had a chance to protest she was being led out of the room and towards a balcony outside. It was a beautiful setting, with nearly the same view as her office, just from further along. It was a lovely day too, the sun shining, albeit a tad too cold for sitting outside, Emily thought. Most of the tables out here were full too. Apart from one, that Penelope was leading them to. One table that only had one person sitting at it. One person that was currently giving her the deer in headlights expression. JJ. 

“Here we are!” Penelope declared, plopping herself down and gesturing for Emily to do the same. 

Emily remained standing. 

“I think introductions are in order!”

Oh they really weren’t. JJ was still staring at her like she had two heads. 

“Emily, this is my good friend JJ, she’s the best counselor on campus. JJ, meet Emily, of the French department, the latest addition to our fine establishment and new friend.”

Emily decided she better sit. She slowly lowered herself into her seat, not breaking eye contact with JJ. It felt in that moment that they shared the same thought - that this couldn’t possibly be a dream or any figment of their imagination now. Not when somebody else was seeing both of them too. No, this was absolutely happening, and there was no running away. Some higher power had decided enough was enough.

JJ coughed, seeming to break out of her daze. “Nice to meet you, Emily.”

“Nice to meet you, JJ.”

She turned to Penelope who was still somehow smiling. “It’s very kind of you to invite me but I don’t want to intrude.”

“Nonsense!” she shouted and gave her a playful slap on the arm. “The more the merrier! You picked a good day to come down, Taco Tuesday’s are the best.”

“Oh, is that every week then?”

“Yep! It’s tradition. Everyone can get so busy here but we never miss Taco Tuesday. And of course, on Wednesdays we wear pink.”

She winked and Emily was flummoxed. “Um, I don’t think I own anything pink.”

Penelope gasped and dropped her taco. “You can’t sit with us!”

Emily was now truly confused, looking to JJ for any clarification. She got a smile in return, which she was glad of. It felt like some of the tension was easing. 

“She’s joking,” she supplied. “You know, _Mean Girls_?”

Emily wracked her brain. “Oh, that film that was out last year?”

“Yeah, it’s become a Penelope favourite.”

“I haven’t seen it.”

Another gasp. “We are fixing that a.s.a.p.!”

It seemed Emily didn’t have any say in the matter. Before she could respond Penelope clapped her hands in excitement and looked past Emily’s shoulder. 

“Oh, here come the others!”

Emily, already feeling dazed from all the social interaction, turned to find three men and a woman walking towards their table. Two of which she’d already become acquainted with, one more than the other. The man-child, who’d nearly concussed her with a football before her first day had even started, was currently ruffling the hair of the mad-scientist who’d beat her to the elevator not long after. Which, when she thought about it, had been the reason for her running into JJ that morning. If she hadn’t missed the elevator they would never have had crossed paths. Her head started to spin again. Was this all some cosmic joke? 

“Hey! Look who it is!” 

The football man grinned at her as he pulled out a chair, apparently far happier to see her than she was him. The mad scientist gave her a polite smile. The two remaining members of the group – a stern looking man in a pristine suit, and an impossibly suave looking woman with chopped dark hair and a pair of sunglasses – also greeted her with a smile. Emily was feeling entirely overwhelmed. The circular table that had seemed a fine size before suddenly felt entirely too small. 

“You know each other?” Penelope questioned, narrowing her eyes between Derek and Emily, obviously annoyed that she’d missed some gossip. 

Derek laughed as he opened up a can of coke. “You could say that.”

The way he said it was clearly meant to imply something… untoward. Emily found herself snapped out of her haze and quickly stepped in to put the record straight. Well, not straight. 

“He hit me on the head with a football on my first day,” she supplied. 

Everyone at the table shot Derek an accusatory look – the stern looking man more so – except the mad scientist man who just laughed. Derek threw his hands up. 

“Complete accident. Besides it wasn’t even my throw, I was just receiving.”

“Well you didn’t do a very good job,” Emily grumbled. She saw JJ out of the corner of her eye give a small smile. She relaxed just a little. 

“Well,” Penelope said very matter of fact, “Let’s all start afresh, shall we?”

Derek nodded and Emily took a beat before pointing a finger at the mad scientist man. “Oh, also he stole my spot on the elevator after I fell over.”

The man in question at least seemed embarrassed by the accusation. Again, everyone shot their head towards him. 

“I’m sorry, was that on the first day?”

“Yes. The language department.”

“What were you doing there?” Derek questioned.

“I had a linguistics question to ask Alex before my class.”

Derek laughed, shaking his head. “Of course you did.”

Emily frowned. “You teach linguistics?” 

Everyone seemed to find this amusing, which Emily didn’t understand.

“No, I teach psychology.” 

“Oh, okay,” Emily nodded, not wanting to ask any more questions. 

“And physics, sometimes chemistry, a little bit of criminology.” 

Emily’s eyebrows flew up to her hairline and everyone burst into laughter. Derek slung an arm around the man’s shoulder, smiling in a way that could only be described as proud. 

“That’s our boy genius.”

Emily then considered the young man’s face, trying to decipher how old he was. 

“You must have been through a lot of school. You’re how old??”

“28.”

Emily nodded, as if this was all totally normal.

“Anyway!” Penelope declared once again. “Let’s start over. Everyone, this is our new friend Emily.”

Emily gave a small wave, realizing she wasn’t getting out of this situation anytime soon. 

Penelope gestured to the rest of the group to follow suit. The boy genius reached across the table, his hand offered to Emily. “Dr. Spencer Reid.”

Emily shook it, smiling politely. Next was the man who’d nearly concussed her. 

“Derek Morgan, social work.” 

And then the suave woman with the sunglasses. “Dr. Tara Lewis, psychology.” Another handshake, this one more firm. 

And finally the stern looking man, who had the firmest, and quite frankly scariest handshake. “Aaron Hotchner, criminal law. But these people call me Hotch.” 

Emily fell back in her chair, resigned to joining this new group. “Emily Prentiss, French.” She paused before continuing. “Although I’m also fluent in Italian, Spanish, and a little bit of Arabic and Russian.”

Everyone, including Spencer, looked impressed. Emily couldn’t help but meet JJ’s gaze, who seemed not only impressed but also intrigued. Like she wanted to know everything about her. 

The feeling was mutual.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! So this took a little longer than the others, but it's longer itself at least? And we finally have all of them together! I'm excited.
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Don't dream it's over - crowded house  
> DARE - gorillaz


	5. the one with the angels of fate (or not)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily and JJ battle with the cosmic reason behind their reunion while Penelope is having none of it.

JJ liked to pride herself on her ability to thrive in stressful situations. It was one of the qualities she put at the top of her resume: hard-working, conscientious, a team-player, able to keep their cool when their roommate nearly burns down the apartment making pancakes at 4am, still drunk after a night out – hypothetically.

Still, it surprised her how easily she was able to carry on at lunch with her friends, laughing at their jokes and stories, as if the very woman she’d been seeking out/avoiding for the past week wasn’t sitting right across from her. After the initial shock wore off – she really had thought she was about to have a heart attack – she managed to power through, willing herself to pretend that the woman wasn’t there. She managed to join in the conversation as normal, throwing an empty can at Derek when he made an inappropriate comment and choking on her drink when Tara inevitably said something hilarious in her trademark deadpan tone. 

She did all this perfectly, and it was almost as if everything was normal. But what she couldn’t hide was how her eyes kept falling onto Emily - to see her laugh at the same jokes, and feeling the blush on her cheeks at the sight of that smile. Or how she hung onto every word she said, desperate to know every detail about her. Every time their eyes met it felt like silent words were passing between them, having their own private conversation.

Emily didn’t reveal too much about herself. Just relayed how her first week had gone when asked, and how she was settling in: standard small talk. 

JJ thought she’d done pretty well as they started to clean up, a solid performance. But then she felt Penelope watching her as they all stood up before parting ways. Her eyes were narrowed in the way that said; _oh don’t think you can fool me._ JJ straightened, swiftly avoiding her gaze. 

“Well it was very nice meeting you, Emily,” Spencer said, hiking his satchel up over his shoulder. 

Emily smiled in return. “You too, I await our next elevator race.”

Spencer gave a bow of his head and waved goodbye to the group before setting off. The others took their turn offering the same sentiments to Emily before leaving for their afternoon classes. Which only left the three of them. The tension that JJ had felt on first seeing Emily had returned in full force, only Penelope seemed to be privy to it too now. 

Emily broke the awkward silence. 

“Well it was very nice of you to invite me to join you, I have to get to my next class now though.”

Her tone was of someone who clearly wanted to make a quick exit, even flashing her watch to convey the time. JJ nodded enthusiastically. 

“Of course, we won’t keep you. It was lovely to meet you.”

Emily gave her a look, which she couldn’t quite discern. The corner of her lip curved, almost like a smirk. “Likewise.”

Just as she was about to leave Penelope reached to stop her. “Wait, I cannot let you go without getting your number.”

JJ felt her stomach drop, and by the look on Emily’s face she presumed she wasn’t alone.

“Oh, right.” 

For someone who’d fallen into conversation so gracefully with a group of strangers, she now appeared lost. 

Penelope just laughed. 

“Oh, come on you can’t think after that lunch I can let you get away from us? I want to know everything about the allusive Emily Prentiss. And in turn we can be your guides to all things on campus.”

She off-handedly gestured to JJ who was trying to control her breathing. 

Emily spared one glance to JJ before hesitantly producing her phone. Penelope, for the second time that afternoon, clapped her hands in glee. After the two had exchanged numbers, Emily was finally given permission to leave - but not before Penelope wrapped her up in a warm hug, which she seemed completely caught off guard by. JJ could see her stiffen in the hold. Once released, she sent JJ a small wave, eyes full of something. Of course JJ still couldn’t know what she was saying. But as she lifted her own hand in a wave goodbye, she silently communicated: _What the fuck is happening._

“That was so much fun, wasn’t it? This is going to be great!”

JJ nodded along distractedly, not hearing a word her friend was saying. She was about to walk into a lamppost when Penelope grabbed her arm to stop her. She blinked.

“Okay, spill it.”

She blinked again, this time coming out of her daze. “Spill what?” she asked.

Penelope was giving her her best ‘don’t play that game with me’ look, arms crossed to show she meant it. They’d been walking back towards their respective offices, although not in a hurry as neither had urgent business to attend to.

“I might not have degrees in human behaviour like all of you, but I know tension when I see it.” Penelope was one step away from wagging her finger at her. “Besides, neither of you could stop looking at each other all through lunch.”

Fuck. So she hadn’t been as discreet as she’d hoped. JJ sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. There was no point in lying to Penelope, she’d see right through it. Besides, what was the big deal? Why was she so hung up about this? Emily wasn’t an ex, they hadn’t had some disastrous, seedy past, or well _any_ past really. She was just a girl that had passed through her life 17 years ago. And had left a music player to remember her by. Deep down she knew it was so much more than that. There was this feeling about her that she couldn’t shake. Words like _fate_ and _destiny_ and _Soulmate_ flitting around in her head. That was the reason she was so frightened of the whole situation. 

Steeling herself, she led Penelope to a nearby bench overlooking the park. Her friend was practically frothing at the mouth in excitement. Once they were sat down, JJ took one deep breath.

“So, 17 years ago…”

* * *

Emily had lied. She hadn’t had a class after lunch - none for the rest of the day in fact. She’d just needed an excuse to get out of there. The effort from remaining nonchalant and trying to avoid JJ’s gaze (albeit terribly) had exhausted her. Once she reached her office and all but fell down into her chair, she exhaled. Christ. 

The higher ups really had decided to intervene. It seemed JJ was set to be a part of her life no matter what. Was that so bad? No, of course not. She’d wished every day for the past 17 years to run into her around every street corner. But now she was faced with her… She was scared; there was nothing else for it. She was scared of rejection, in friendship or…. Whatever she couldn’t let herself hope for. She was scared because reality could never live up to what she’d dreamed of all these years. It felt like the universe was taunting her. 

Desperate for a distraction, she’d busied herself with marking essays the rest of the day. She’d only noticed the time when it started to get dark, and she had to turn on her desk lamp to see the words she was meant to be reading. But of course she couldn’t focus on the mostly broken French laid out in front of her. Deciding it best to not continue half concentrating, she packed up her things and headed out. Few people remained on campus, only the cleaners wishing her a good night. 

Tonight was definitely a night for a bath and a glass of red, she thought – a big one. She felt at least some of the tension drain from her as she lowered into the bath, heat seeping through her skin. She gave a huge sigh, closing her eyes as she let herself relax. 

It was exactly two seconds later that her phone went off. She almost sent it flying into the bath as she jumped in surprise. Composing herself, she reached for a towel to dry her hands with before carefully picking up her phone, leaning over the side just in case. There was a text message waiting for her, glowing at her somewhat teasingly. 

_Penelope: We’re meeting at Central Perk on Friday night at 7, would love for you to join! Xx_

Emily was glad she’d leaned over the edge when she nearly dropped her phone. Central Perk was the name of the coffee house she’d worked at all those years ago. Where she met JJ. 

Yeah, some higher being was having a right laugh. 

* * *

“Garcia!” JJ screeched as she dove across the couch, trying to snatch the phone from her friend. 

Penelope was giggling with glee as she texted, not at all bothered by her friend scrambling onto her back. She twisted away from her, holding the phone higher out of her reach. 

“Now JJ, this isn’t very nice. Let the angels work.”

“I don’t see any angels, I just see you being completely unreasonable!”

Penelope flopped back into her original seated position on the couch, and gave JJ a seemingly sweet smile. 

“Honey, the angels of fate called me and asked for my assistance. I’m only doing my part.”

JJ huffed and gave up, falling into the couch beside her. “You’re absolutely mad you do know that. Angels of fate?”

“Well this is clearly what it is. Come on, JJ, you meet a girl in a coffee house on the last night of a special trip, get your Walkman’s mixed up, spend years listening to each others mix tapes – I did always wonder why you were so protective of that piece of junk – anyway, you presume you’re never going to see each other again, only to literally run into each other 17 years later, in the _same city?_ Yeah, okay, totally random.”

JJ rolled her eyes but these were the exact same thoughts that hadn’t left her alone the past week. And the reason she’d been so cagey. 

“This is insane,” she muttered instead, pulling a pillow into her lap. “I’ve not even…”

“Been with a woman?”

JJ bit her lip.

“You _do_ like women though,” Penelope, reminded her. “We talk about _people_ we find attractive all the time. And you said it yourself, if you just so happened to fall for a woman then…”

“I know, I just - ”

“Didn’t see it happening? Something you tell others but not yourself?”

JJ sighed, getting frustrated. “Honestly I can’t say I’ve seen myself ending up with _anyone_ recently.”

Penelope shrugged. “The world works in mysterious ways. But really, JJ, you can’t ignore this.”

JJ shook her head, more to herself than anyone else. 

“Look, Emily is just a woman who I’ve happened to cross paths with a couple of times in my life. She’s very nice, yes, so there’s no reason why we can’t be friends - ”

“Yes!”

“But,” JJ continued, earning a huff from Penelope. “ _Please_ drop this whole angels of fate thing, okay?”

“Okay,” Penelope grumbled, before adding, “For now,” under her breath.

JJ shot her a glare. “Really though, do we have to meet at Central Perk?”

“JJ, it’s where we always meet on Friday.”

“I know but - ”

“And if you were serious about none of this meaning anything then it shouldn’t matter... What? Worried sparks are going to fly?”

JJ scoffed. “Don’t be ridiculous. And it doesn’t matter.” 

Penelope smirked. “You know, you should really be the one inviting her, but I’m happy to be the wing man.”

“Garcia…”

She held her hands up. “Pretending everything about this is totally normal, got it.”

Before they could continue arguing there was a ping from Penelope’s phone. JJ felt herself sink further into the couch, pulling the pillow closer, while Penelope clapped her hands in excitement. She was quick to show JJ the message.

_Emily: That sounds lovely, I’ll see you there x_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! So I wasn't expecting to have this chapter out so soon, BUT it's technically one half of what was intended. Meaning that I'm still behind schedule. Oh well. Enjoy!
> 
> (because this was originally one big chapter, there are no songs for this part. I was going to scramble to fit some in, but they really wouldn't fit anywhere, so I won't try)


	6. the one that's definitely not a date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Friday night arrives and Emily and JJ try to hide their nerves.

It had been both the longest and shortest three days of Emily’s life. 

She’d accepted Penelope’s offer to join them on Friday night in what she suspected a fleeting moment of bravery – or madness, she wasn’t sure yet. Also, by yet another twist of fate, after going the past week without so much of a glimpse of JJ, she’d seen her more times in the past few days than she could count. From afar, that was. It seemed like she saw her everywhere – and no, she was pretty sure she wasn’t going mad. 

This made it harder for her to distract herself from Friday night. It was all she could think about. She was all she could think about. Obsessively checking her phone incase JJ decided to text her. Emily felt especially that the universe was teasing her when she went grocery shopping on Thursday, only to hear a song blasting through the speakers with lyrics like _‘time goes by so slowly’_ and _‘hung up on you.’_

She’d been avoiding music in general the past few days. Listening to the music from the Walkman seemed intrusive somehow now. Now that she’d been presented with its owner again. She very much had the feeling that it wasn’t hers, that these songs weren’t meant for her ears. The whole ritual of listening to those songs she knew JJ had picked out as her favourites, lying in bed, as she’d become accustomed to, it felt too intimate. 

Time passed by so slowly at first. She found herself just wishing Friday night would come already, so she could get the ordeal over with. But then Friday morning came, and Friday afternoon. Before she knew it she was standing in front of her mirror at 6.15pm, wishing that it were yesterday. She also wished that her wardrobe consisted of something more exciting or flattering than an assortment of turtlenecks. She did have a _very_ flattering black ball gown, which she knew showed of all her best assets beautifully. But that was reserved for the inevitable gala she’d have to attend for her mother at least once a year - probably too fancy for a date at a coffee house.

 _Date?_ Emily shook her head, chastising herself. It was a meeting of 6 friends at a coffee house – one that JJ herself hadn’t even invited her to. _God, get a grip Emily,_ she muttered, for what definitely wasn’t the first time that week. 

It was 6.36pm and she still hadn’t decided on an outfit. She considered texting Penelope to cancel, apologizing but she just had too much marking to get through. It was a stupid idea. Too much work on a Friday night? Yeah, nobody was buying that. She’d been the one to make this decision. And she tried, however hard, to stand by her choices. Ever since she took that job at the coffee house all those years ago. 

* * *

“You look nice.”

JJ looked up to the mirror in front of her to find Penelope standing in the doorway of her bedroom. She had that knowing smile on her face that made JJ sigh. Penelope was like a dog with a bone. She finished putting in her earrings and rose to her feet.

“Thank you, Penelope, so do you,” she said very plainly, clearly wanting no more to be said on the matter. 

But Penelope wouldn’t stop staring at her as she opened her wardrobe to get her jacket. She sorted through the coats, deciding which to wear and pretended that she couldn’t feel her roommate’s eyes burning into her back. 

“That’s your favourite sweater,” Penelope observed. 

JJ ignored the comment and reached for her leather jacket, slipping it onto the cashmere sweater that was in fact her favourite. 

“And your favourite jacket.”

JJ rolled her eyes. “Yes Penelope, considering I don’t have an endless supply of clothes I do tend to wear this outfit from time to time.”

Penelope just raised her eyebrows and pretended to zip her lips. The past few days had taught her not to push JJ on the subject. 

It had been a stressful time. From the second Penelope sent that text to sitting down to do her makeup, JJ had been wracked with anxiety. Or was it excitement? Anyhow it felt like her whole body was buzzing. She had so much pent up energy that she’d not only gone for a run every morning, but twice today. She tried to have a lie down once she’d gotten in from work but couldn’t force her body to relax. Penelope had barely gotten in a teasing comment before she was speeding past her in her running gear. 

JJ had opted for only present day songs for her running playlist this time. This was after she’d been met with _Friday I’m In Love_ on the first steps of her morning run. She really needed to have words with the universe. 

She hadn’t actually spoken to Emily since their ambush of a lunch. The other woman seemed to have chosen to eat lunch in her office, claiming she had too much work to catch up on. This wasn’t for a lack of Penelope’s countless invites. Nevertheless, even though she hadn’t spoken to her, she seemed to see Emily everywhere, from a far: walking across campus in the opposite direction, getting coffee from a stall she’d just left, just missing what would have been a very awkward elevator ride. So yes, by the time she’d arrived home Friday night, she had a lot of pent up energy to release.

She’d taken an abnormally long shower when she’d gotten in; usually she was just in and out, in a hurry to get to work after. But even after her long run she had half an hour before she needed to start getting ready. So she just stood there under the spray, feeling the heat wash over her. She had to admit, it was nice, to just soak in it for once. 

Running, just exercise in general, was always her preferred way to clear her head. But this was nice too, for a change. She was truly feeling herself slip into a daze when there was a banging on the bathroom door. It was Penelope, checking she was okay. JJ smiled despite the interruption. Penelope could be a lot sometimes, but she could always count on her to be there for her. She had called through that she was fine and just coming out, deciding she best face the music. As nice as it was to soak in the heat of the shower, she couldn’t stay there forever. 

Once her and Penelope were both ready, Derek and Spencer came waltzing into the apartment - as they always did. Well, if Spencer were alone he would usually knock - although he rarely was. 

On nights that Derek happened to be out (usually on a date) JJ and Penelope would always know when Spencer was there, as he announced his arrival with a gentle knock. Of course it was unnecessary; they both had a key to the apartment. But that was Spencer. He usually also waited to be let in, but if he hadn’t gotten an answer in 5 minutes (if one of them was otherwise occupied in the bathroom or one of them had popped out to the shop) he would let himself in. 

Spencer was another one of JJ’s friends that she could count on to check on her. She sometimes overlooked this, as she saw herself as the older sister in their relationship, always there to offer him advice and support. It was nice, to feel like she had a sibling again - even if it was a younger brother and not an older sister. But Spencer had his own way of checking in on her too. He was protective of all of them really. Or maybe it was born out of a fear of being abandoned. JJ could relate to that. 

“Don’t you ladies look lovely,” Derek announced as he pulled out a chair at the kitchen table.

Spencer joined him. He gave JJ a scrutinizing look. “He’s right. That’s your favourite outfit.”

Penelope sniggered and JJ groaned as she brushed out her hair in the mirror. Spencer frowned and looked to Penelope for some kind of clarification. 

“Oh don’t go down that road Spencer.”

“Um, okay.” He gave Derek a perplexed look but he just shrugged. He’d learned not to press either of them when they got in a mood. 

JJ had made Penelope promise not to tell the others about her ‘past’ with Emily. She’d pretended not to know her at lunch and it would be incredibly embarrassing to admit that the whole thing had been a charade. Besides, it wasn’t like she knew much more about her than they did. She was basically a stranger to her too. And really, she hadn’t even had any indication that Emily remembered her. So it was better to start afresh. 

“Well this will be nice,” Derek said, reaching for an apple on the table and throwing it in the air, “the whole gang together again.”

They hadn’t had a chance to all meet up at the coffee house after summer yet, which a lot of them had spent with family or on prolonged vacations. Everyone had been so busy in their first week of classes. Of course they’d managed to see each other at lunch, but it wasn’t the same. No, Friday nights at Central Perk were a staple of their friendship and something they all looked forward to.

“Oh I know!” Penelope exclaimed, hurrying around the room to collect her things, “Everyone plus one.” She winked at JJ who pretended not to see her. 

“Ah yes, the fresh meat,” Derek grinned, which didn’t ease JJ’s nerves in the slightest. She chastened herself. So what if Derek was interested? That shouldn’t matter to her.

Penelope pointed an accusatory finger at him. “You stay away from her.”

Derek shook his head, laughing. “Oh don’t worry, I know when I’m out of someone’s league.”

JJ relaxed a little. 

“Do you think she would be interested in the foreign film festival?” Spencer looked as close to gleeful as he could, and it made everyone laugh.

* * *

Emily stood outside the entrance to Central Perk, frozen to the spot. It was chilly and she kept wrapping her scarf tighter around her neck, but she couldn’t make herself move. She watched on as others entered and departed, hearing the bell above the door chime every time. It was a different bell that had been there before. This one was newer yes, but it was also somehow cheerier. Like the whole place had a new lease of life. 

She took a peek inside through the window. The place had been entirely renovated, but still held a sense of timelessness. A huge couch was still sat in the middle, with cosy armchairs accompanying it, all orange and red and yellow, warm inviting colours. And situated on them were the very people she was currently avoiding. 

Penelope caught her eye first, who was making her way back to her place on the couch, carrying with her a tray of hot drinks. She passed JJ hers first, which Emily could only guess was tea. She then passed Derek his who was sat on his own armchair to the side, and then to Spencer who sat on the one on the other side. Finally there was Hotch who was sat on a smaller couch directly opposite JJ and Penelope. Emily could swear she saw him smile, which was an odd sight. 

As she pressed her face up close to the window, her hot breath condensing on the glass, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She lost her footing, nearly landing face first onto the sidewalk. A hand reached out to steady her and she looked up, frazzled, to find Tara Lewis looking at her, one eyebrow raised. 

“You okay? You do know there’s a door just over here. Walk through, get inside?”

Emily flattened down her jacket, collecting herself before replying. “Yes, I’m familiar with the concept. I was just…. Taking a call.”

Tara gave her a once over, finding no phone, but decided to let it go. There was no point in her questioning Emily on why she – still a mere stranger - was apparently spying on her friends.

“Well okay, after you?” She held the door open for Emily and she smiled before going through. 

As soon as she stepped inside warmth encompassed her. It still felt the same as it had all those years ago, a haven from the cold during these later seasons. But it also felt different. As Emily had noticed before, the decor was new. That was also evident in the way it felt; there was a freshness to it, not only the smell of coffee drifting through the space, but also of spices and a sweetness that hadn’t been present before. The place was full of chatter, packed with customers, all lazing in their chosen seats like they had all the time in the world. Emily understood. She herself felt like she could stay here for hours – especially since she wasn’t moping up coffee stains. 

She was getting lost in the cosy atmosphere and she knew Tara was staring at her yet again when there was a shout from across the room.

“Tara! Emily! Hey!”

Penelope was waving manically, a huge smile on her face. JJ turned around slowly, giving them a timid smile, clutching to her cup. Penelope stood up to greet them, both receiving a hug. 

“Penelope I saw you at lunch,” Tara laughed. 

“I know, but this is Friday night at Central Perk! It’s so good to all be back here.”

Tara nodded in agreement and took the empty space next to Hotch. He gave them a wave and something of a smile, though he was otherwise occupied, showing Derek something.

“What you got there?” Tara asked, leaning over.

He turned to her, holding up the picture he’d been showing Derek. There was now a very clear smile on his face. Emily had to admit it was a strange look on him.

Tara gave a small gasp, tentatively taking the picture from him, like it was delicate.

“Well would you look at that.” Her voice held a softness that Emily also wasn’t expecting. What was going on?

She was still standing and Penelope suddenly dragged her down into the couch beside her. JJ was on the other side, a fact that Emily was glad of. She could still feel the tension radiated off her though.

“Well don’t hog the cuteness!” Penelope shouted, slapping her knee impatiently.

Hotch laughed and reached over to pass her the picture. Emily could see it now. It was a sonogram.

“Oh wow.”

She couldn’t help the comment. A real baby. Christ. She knew this happened. That people had kids. She’d just never known someone who had. Been close enough with them to see these moments, to be passed a sonogram and see the joy in their eyes. It made her a bit uncomfortable. She couldn’t tell if that was the situation alone or the fact that she’d only just found herself propelled into this group; she shouldn’t be present for intimate moments such as these. But then Penelope was handing her the photo and she found herself staring down at the image. She just felt more uncomfortable. This was a subject she liked to avoid. She gave a smile and a nod to Hotch before passing it back quickly.

Penelope soon got into a debate with Hotch about baby names, and Emily exchanged a few pleasantries with the others, starting to feel herself relax. Not too long later, a man approached their table. He was older than them, a few grey hairs present, tan skin and a warm smile. He was also wearing an apron, which Emily’s great powers of deduction led her to believe he worked there.

“Well if it isn’t my favourite customers!”

“Hey Rossi!” the group sang back as a chorus. 

The man smiled back and tucked his hands into his apron. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to serve you, I had some business to tend to in the back. Jordan get your drinks okay?”

“Yes Rossi,” Derek replied, a cheeky smile on his face. “Business huh? You get another spark of inspiration?”

Rossi tapped his nose. “That’s for me to know and you to soon discover. Anyway, I see not everyone has a drink. That must be fixed immediately.”

Tara laughed and gave him her order of an espresso. He then turned to Emily, a glint in his dark eyes. “And who might this be?”

Spencer spoke up. “This is Emily, she’s a new professor at NYU.”

“Ah! Another member to our esteemed group. What subject?”

“French,” Emily replied, feeling on display all of a sudden.

“Ah, the language of love.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “My favourite. Pleasure to meet you Emily, I’m David Rossi, the owner of this humble abode.”

“Nice to meet you.” She didn’t bother mentioning that she used to work here. JJ seemed eager to keep their past just there so that’s what she’d do too.

“And what can I get you? You strike me as a coffee drinker. Black?”

Emily raised her hands. “Caught me.”

Rossi gave her what could only be described as a finger gun and left to make the drinks. Emily turned to Derek. 

“Spark of inspiration?”

He grinned. “Old man Rossi here writes romance novels.”

Emily felt her jaw drop. “Really? When he works here?”

“Yeah, this is just a hobby really. He’s big into coffee and a huge people person. He’ll pretend otherwise, but most of his books are inspired by the people here. He sees himself as something of a matchmaker.”

Emily could have sworn she saw Penelope give JJ a nudge, which had her promptly choking on her tea. 

“Yeah, if you ever have any romantic interests, I’d keep them away from this place,” Derek advised.

“Noted.”

They conversed a little more, all recounting their week and catching up on stories that they hadn’t had the chance to fully tell. Stories of clashes with colleagues and students who thought they were being discreet turning up high to class. It was all very… pleasant. 

An hour must have passed when the lights suddenly cut. 

Emily’s reaction was immediate, her hand reaching for her hip instinctively. She cursed, and removed it, hoping nobody had noticed. Even after a year it was still her first reaction to danger. A beat passed before a spotlight flickered to life, illuminating a tiny stage at the front that Emily hadn’t noticed.

“Oh it’s party time!” Derek announced, rising to his feet. He raised a glass to Penelope (they’d all switched to alcohol by this point) and she also stood, giving him a curtsey. 

“Why thank you, sir.”

Emily was utterly confused. She’d only had one glass of wine; she couldn’t be drunk already surely?

The room erupted into applause and cheers as Penelope removed a ukulele from her bag and hopped up onto the stage. Which also had a microphone. _Oh god._

“Good evening friends!” she announced on the stage, earning another round of applause. “It’s so good to be back here, I hope you all had fun on your summer vacations. Though not too much fun.” She winked and there was a chorus of hollers. “Let’s get this night started!” She adjusted the ukulele in her hands and leaned in closer to the microphone. “This song is called Unwritten.”

As Penelope started to pluck the opening notes on her ukulele, and the crowd began to clap along, Emily noticed what now seemed like a very small gap between her and JJ. There was a charge in the space, electric, and before she could turn around JJ was looking at her. Some of the light from the spotlight fell over her face, illuminating the small smile she gave. It made it seem even warmer. 

Emily let herself return it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay! I wish I could say I've been busier than usual and that's the reason but anyway it's here now! I feel like this chapter packs in a lot. Hotch is gonna be a dad, there's a (small) hint to Emily's past, and finally we have the introduction of Rossi! I originally wrote him as the dean of the university but I think this is far more fun ;)
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Hung up - Madonna  
> Friday I'm In Love - The Cure  
> Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield


	7. the one with girl's night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily attends her first girl’s night with JJ, Penelope and Tara, and her and JJ might finally speak ???

JJ couldn’t remember the last time she was so quiet in a group setting. 

Of course, she was far from the most talkative, that honor being held by Penelope, or Derek, or even Spencer, relaying something from the latest article he’d read. Hotch and Tara were the quietest, having their reputations as the cool stoic types. But JJ was usually quick to join in on a joke, to be a steady participant in conversation. 

That night she wasn’t sure she said more than a handful of words - and she feared the others noticed. She was after all sitting in the company of those with backgrounds in psychology, two of them being professors of it. 

She thought she’d composed herself by the time they arrived at Central Perk. Over the past five years of living in New York it had become a place of comfort for her. Somewhere she associated with meeting her friends in a relaxed setting, where they didn’t have work looming over them or any kind of dramas. The amount of time they spent there, it was like a second home, with Rossi feeling like some kind of father/grandpa/cool uncle figure.

But seeing Emily walk through those doors, she was transported back to that fateful night all those years ago, and she felt like she herself had regressed back to 17 years old – a time of her life she’d mostly rather leave in the past. Meeting Emily that night had felt like a relief from it all, like a shining light in the dark. 

JJ wasn’t sure what she was feeling. But as the night progressed, and she saw Emily start to relax into their group, so did she. Seeing Emily in this place that had become a place of comfort, well it almost felt like the universe was trying to pay her back. By blending these two parts of her life. 

She laughed especially hard when Emily caught a whiff of Penelope’s pumpkin spice latte, asking what it was, and nearly spat it out when she gave her a sip. 

“You must have lived under a rock these past couple of years huh?” Penelope had laughed. 

JJ noticed the tension in Emily’s body at the remark. She kept adjusting the top she was wearing in a nervous fashion – a long sleeved burgundy top that was scooped at the neck, showing off her collarbones. JJ thought she really didn’t have anything to fret about where her appearance was concerned. It also looked like she was wearing more makeup than she’d seen her with before; just a subtle change - eyeliner and a different shade of lipstick. But JJ noticed. She tried not to think about what it meant.

Emily had told them about the universities and schools she’d previously worked at, mostly in France, but never with any detail. She also noticed Emily’s odd reaction to the lights cutting. She was sure the others would have seen, but they didn’t comment so she certainly wasn’t going to. 

She’d met eyes with Emily for the first time properly then, when the spotlight lit a soft glow over the rest of the room. She found herself smiling, and was more pleased than she liked to admit to see it returned. They only had that small moment – overwhelmingly peaceful – before they both turned their attention to the stage. JJ felt her stomach turn. But she wasn’t sick.

As the night came to a close, she said her goodbyes to Hotch and Tara, readying to leave with the others back to their apartment building. And then she was faced with Emily. She stood waiting awkwardly while Penelope gave her her usual bone-crushing hug. What she wasn’t expecting were the next words out of her best friend’s mouth. 

“Okay, I’ve decided this was not enough time. I need to know more, specifically the more sordid details.” She winked before ending with a cat-like grin. “Girl’s night, tomorrow. 8pm sharp.”

Both Emily and JJ looked baffled. Penelope clearly wasn’t the type of person to worry about double texting. She saw Emily’s mind race, as if she were trying to think of an excuse. Inevitably, she agreed. 

“Tara, that okay with you?”

The brunette smiled as she buttoned up her jacket. “I’ll clear my schedule.”

Apparently thrown by such a quick second invitation, Emily only spared JJ one distracted glance before saying her goodbyes. JJ released a breath she didn’t realise she’d been holding. She turned to Penelope who just gave her an innocent smile. 

“What?”

JJ ran a hand through her hair and led them out of the coffee house. 

* * *

Not 22 hours later Emily found herself standing outside the door of JJ and Penelope’s apartment.

She hadn’t spent nearly as much time fretting over her outfit this time, mostly because she didn’t have the energy. In truth, she’d spent most of her time debating over something else. She shifted the bag on her shoulder; it felt heavier than she knew it was. But that was more to do with the significance of the contents rather that its size. She heard footsteps scurrying towards the door. Too late to turn back now. 

The door was flung open and Emily was greeted by a gleeful Penelope, smiling ear to ear and swaying slightly on her feet – clearly they’d already started drinking. 

“Welcome!” she declared, taking a step back to show Emily into the apartment. “To our humble abode!”

Emily gave a small smile and peeked her head inside. Beyond the threshold of the door was what had to be the coziest looking living space Emily had ever seen. 

Similar to the coffee house, it was awash with warm colours, though there were also pinks and blues and greens splattered in: basically every colour of the rainbow. There was also a big couch further into the room, which looked like you could sink into it, similarly comfy looking chairs surrounding it. They were all faced a modest sized TV, with a small coffee table between, magazines and books strewn across it. There were pillows and throws and a bright orange rug, a lava lamp on one of the side tables for good measure. 

It was - to put it frankly - a bit of a mess, but it was also homey. Emily supposed that was what a home was meant to look like. In any case, it couldn’t have been further from her monochrome, pristine apartment. There was music blaring – Emily at least recognised it this time, a 90’s boy band, though it wasn’t part of any of her collections. Emily blinked, her senses feeling overwhelmed. 

“Drink?” Emily jumped as Penelope seemed to have snuck up behind her.

She turned around, and smiled like she wasn’t feeling completely out of her depth. “Can I just have some water, please?”

Penelope narrowed her eyes. “Well okay, to start. Gotta keep hydrated after all. Make yourself at home!”

Emily just nodded along, as Penelope made her way to the little kitchen in the corner. She was about to sit down when Tara walked in from what she could only assume was the bathroom. She gave Emily a smile, not Penelope level but still warm, which she was thankful for. She was also thankful that she’d already arrived and hadn’t been witness to her fumbling outside a second time.

“Good evening,” she greeted, flopping down onto one of the armchairs. 

She was more casually dressed than she had been the night before, wearing a dark grey jumper that hung off one shoulder. It was very similar to the grey jumper Emily was wearing.

“Good evening,” Emily replied, taking a place on one of the other armchairs. “Did you have a nice – well, morning?”

Tara had a deep laugh. “Yes I did thank you. Got all my preparation out of the way for next week. Never know what kind of a state I’ll be in on Sunday after one of these.” 

She nodded towards the kitchen where Penelope was dancing while pouring Emily a water and making herself what looked like a margarita, paper umbrella and all. 

Emily gave an uneasy laugh. “Well I’m glad I also had a productive morning.” She adjusted herself in her seat, getting more comfortable. “This is a nice place huh?”

“Oh don’t get me started. The amount of times I’ve fallen asleep on that couch? I try to avoid it now.”

Emily chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“JJ get your cute butt out here!” Penelope hollered from the kitchen. “It’s rude to keep a guest waiting! Plus, you don’t want your marg to get hot!”

Penelope then approached them with their drinks, too much of a bounce in her step than Emily was comfortable with. “One H2O for madam, and one sweet marg for moi!”

There was a small creak of a door opening and Emily raised her head to see JJ step out of what she presumed her room. She too was dressed casually, even more so, in a pair of trackies and a big sweater. No makeup. Emily still had trouble suppressing her butterflies. 

“Sorry guys, that nap really got away from me!” She ran her hand through her long wavy hair, which only made Emily’s stomach turn again.

“Well maybe if you wouldn’t insist on running twice a day you wouldn’t need such long naps.” Penelope shook her head. “Honestly woman, are you and Derek training for some marathon I don’t know about?”

JJ just rolled her eyes and made her way to the couch beside her. She leaned in to pick up her glass. Tara followed, picking up her beer that was sat on the table. Penelope did the same, raising her glass.

“To new friends.”

They all smiled at Emily and she quickly raised her own glass of water, feeling a bit silly. Penelope and Tara both downed their drinks.

“Let’s get this party started!” the blonde cheered.

Emily looked to JJ, who was sipping her drink in a conservative manner, avoiding her gaze.

* * *

The night was in full swing, Penelope two drinks away from knocking her head on the coffee table and incapacitating herself. JJ was two drinks away from even being tipsy. She’d usually be halfway to Penelope’s state by now, not as far gone but further than Tara, who had just as much to drink but wasn’t as much of a lightweight as them - so she put it. But tonight JJ didn’t feel as free to cut loose as she usually would. Tonight they had a guest and she was very aware of that fact. Like she wanted to make a good impression. 

She was still feeling groggy after her post run nap and coincidentally the night felt far longer. Penelope kept offering her drinks but she declined. She seemed to respect her decision to lie low. 

That was until that very moment. JJ was putting some more ice in her drink, partly to avoid conversation, partly to dilute it. Suddenly the music changed and she froze. 

The opening beats to _Walk Like An Egyptian_ pounded through the apartment and JJ turned around to find Penelope grinning at her, doing an excited shimmy. 

“Come on, I know you cannot resist this song!” 

JJ groaned, rolling her head back. “Penelope!”

Penelope just continued to dance, coming closer to JJ. Tara was laughing in her new position splayed across the couch. Emily was still sat rather reservedly on her chair, a small smile creeping onto her face. JJ took one more look at Penelope’s gleeful expression. She sighed and sat down her drink. 

“Well it’s sacrilege not to.”

“Yes!”

She let herself be dragged into the middle of the room by Penelope and laughed as she joined her, moving through the dance moves of the song like it was second nature. 

This was both one of their favourite songs from their teen years, and one of the ways they first bonded. They’d been at a work night out, which was very much a bore. JJ had been sat in her seat the entire night, considering if it had been too early to leave. Then this song had come on, which she later found out was a Penelope request, and pretty much like tonight, she found herself dragged onto the dance floor. The only difference being that Penelope was basically a stranger that night, the only previous interaction they’d had being in the bathroom when Penelope asked her to pass her some toilet roll beneath the stall. 

She felt herself loosen up completely as they danced the familiar steps, almost forgetting their guest. That was until she met eyes with Emily, whose eyes were practically sparkling with amusement. But she didn’t turn around or try to avoid her gaze. She just smiled and danced even more enthusiastically; dancing with Penelope really was the best cure for anxiety, far more so than alcohol. As the song finished and both were feeling a little out of breath, Tara hollered.

“Encore, encore!”

“The party’s just getting started!” Penelope declared, and ran to the speaker to line up their next song. 

“Backstreet’s back, alright!” Penelope, JJ and Tara all punched the air in unison before descending into a fit of giggles. 

Emily was looking a little perplexed but Penelope soon dragged her up and had her somewhat dancing along. It was more of a shuffle but JJ could see the hint of a smile on her face.

“This isn’t your type of music is it?” Tara laughed, nodding in Emily’s direction.

Emily gave a small laugh. “Em, not exactly.”

“I hear you, I’m more of a classic rock girl myself.”

Penelope stuck her tongue out. 

They danced for a few more songs and then Penelope announced they were playing games. Emily thought that meant board games, and was confused but up for it. But no, Penelope meant drinking games. This she was less up for. 

Nevertheless, she was relieved to find most of the questions were tailored to Penelope, Tara and JJ and revolved around work shenanigans. Rather than, ‘never have I ever had any kind of significant long term relationship or am on good terms with my mother,’ it was more along the lines of, ‘never have I ever hacked into a government organization,’ or ‘never have I ever made a student cry.’

“Hey, if it wasn’t for my expertise, you’d all be out of jobs, and this group would never have come to fruition! I’m the glue holding you all together!”

JJ laughed, slapping Penelope on the thigh. “Oh you’ve got us there, babygirl.”

Emily raised an eyebrow in question.

Tara replied. “We all met Penelope because we needed her help with IT.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Well I met Penelope at a terrible work night out, which I am hazy on the details of.”

Penelope winked. “I don’t kiss and tell.”

Emily felt her cheeks flush and averted her eyes.

“Yeah that’s the only reason Hotch is even in our circle of friends. Can’t keep calling me 3 times a week to fix the overhead projector and not expect to take me to dinner!”

They all burst into a fit of giggles and Emily found herself joining in. 

“I really love your apartment by the way,” she said, gesturing to the space with her glass. “It’s far nicer than my place.”

“Oh I’m sure that’s not true, with how chic you look? But thank you, you are too kind.”

Penelope stood to bow but she was wobbly on her feet and promptly fell back onto the couch, right on top of JJ. The laughter continued. 

“Oh did we tell you about the time we lost the apartment to the boys?!” Penelope yelled, as if suddenly remembering this very important information. “That was a hellish week.”

Emily frowned and looked to Tara for an explanation when the two blondes seemed to be struggling to catch their breath. 

“Oh, that’s a story you wanna hear both sides of believe me,” she chuckled, taking another big swig of beer. 

* * *

The night wore on and Emily found herself staring at a passed out Penelope on the couch, snoring loudly with her mouth hanging open. Tara, who had previously warned her of such a thing, was laying half on top of her, sleeping sounding. Emily smiled at the sight.

“You know it’s a good night when Tara passes out.”

Emily lifted her head to see JJ coming out of the bathroom. Her hair had been undone and redone too many times to count that night. She had given up somewhere along the way, and it now hung lose past her shoulders: a tangled mess but she didn’t seem to care. She seemed tired – naturally – and her eyes were glazed over, beckoning sleep. Emily thought she hadn’t seen her more beautiful. 

“Yeah well, you guys know how to party.”

JJ smiled. “Oh this one sure does.” She walked up to Penelope, and carefully laid a blanket over her and Tara. 

“You not going to wake them up?”

“Nah. If I wake them up they’ll just keep drinking and nobody wants that. They usually sleep well like this anyway.”

Emily nodded and they fell into a comfortable silence. JJ was giving her a thoughtful look and she wasn’t sure what was going to come next. Before she could speak, a thought came to Emily. 

“Um,” she started, and JJ straightened up in her seat. “Can I talk to you for a minute? I don’t want to wake them up though.”

JJ was the one who seemed unsure now, but nodded her head and rose to her feet, nodding towards the balcony outside. “We can talk out here.”

Emily lifted her bag as she got up and JJ passed her a blanket to wrap around herself. She was glad of it when she followed JJ, stepping out into the cool night air. She knew New York nights could get far colder than this, but it was still a chill she wasn’t all that comfortable with; she seemed to feel the cold more than others. As JJ made herself comfortable on a bench, wrapping the blanket tighter around herself, Emily noticed that she’d given her the bigger one. She didn’t seem all that cold herself though - probably just practicality. 

“I don’t bite.” 

Emily blinked and looked down to see JJ giving her an amused smile, patting the spot beside her. Emily felt her cheeks flush despite the cold and joined her, sitting close but ensuring they weren’t touching. Even with the blankets, she could feel a charge between them. Like if she got too close she’d combust. 

“So, what did you want to talk about?”

Emily twisted her head a little just to see the look on JJ’s face. Her eyes glinted with playfulness, like she was daring Emily to finally drop the charade for them both. Emily steeled herself and reached for her bag. JJ frowned. 

“I think this belongs to you.”

She tried to ignore both the tremble in her voice and the tremble of her hands as she presented the 17-year-old Walkman to the other woman. JJ stared at it, disbelieving. “You still have it?”

Emily bit her lip. _This was silly,_ she thought, what did JJ think of her? Holding onto this thing all these years? She was probably creeped out. She probably thought she was some kind of stalker. She was about to say something, to try to downplay the gesture, when JJ was suddenly on her feet.

“What -”

Emily couldn’t finish her question. JJ had raced back into the apartment and she was left outside alone. Fuck. She got up, ready to leave and apologise, when she bumped into an out of breath JJ in the doorway. There was a beat before the blonde broke out into a smile and presented her very own Walkman. 

“And I think this belongs to you.”

Emily felt like she was going to pass out. Was this really happening?

“You wanna sit back down?” JJ suggested, motioning to the bench. Emily nodded, still in a trance.

They sat back down, blankets pulled back around themselves, each other’s Walkmans clutched in their cold hands. The soft sounds of music still playing in the living room drifted through the open door. It was one of JJ’s recent favourites. She thought it was rather apt for the current situation. She could imagine Emily having visited the moon. About a minute passed before either of them spoke. 

“I looked for you,” Emily said.

JJ felt a shiver at the words. 

“I mean, I worked there,” Emily added, trying to make it sound less dramatic. “Well, I worked there for about a month after that.”

She laughed to herself and JJ raised an eyebrow. “What happened?”

Emily grimaced. “Got fired for spilling hot tea all over a man. Honestly there were far worse instances that I should have been fired for before that.”

“Well I’m glad you didn’t scold me.”

They both laughed. Another pause. 

“I looked for you too.”

Emily shot her head up. “You did?”

JJ nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I uh, I took another trip to New York not long after. Felt like I didn’t see enough of it, you know.” She too was trying to make it less dramatic. “Convinced my parents it would be a good trip for us.” She stopped again and Emily saw her eyes glaze over, like she was falling back into the memory. She didn’t prod. 

“Anyway, um, I went to the coffeehouse but you weren’t there. Even asked about you. But all I got was a grunt. Makes sense now.”

Emily breathed in sharply. “God yeah, that was probably after I was fired.”

“Yeah.” JJ laughed. “Well, I ended up getting into Pittsburgh, then Georgetown, where you used to live. Never really had the chance to go back to New York after that. Until I ended up getting a job here, of course. By which time you were off living it up in France.” 

JJ shook her head in disbelief and Emily nodded. “Yeah, living it up.” 

Another pause. 

“But here we are.” 

Emily turned slightly to meet JJ’s gaze. “Here we are.”

They took a minute to let the moment settle in their minds, to feel the calm after all these years. JJ then pointed to the Walkman still clutched in Emily’s hands.

“So what did you think?” 

Emily paused, frowning, as if she were deep in thought. “Oh, highly questionable.”

JJ gave her a playful shove and Emily felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter. “I’m kidding!”

“Oh, it’s fine, it makes me feel better about what I was gonna say.”

Emily gave a fake gasp. They both descended into laughter. Neither would admit the significance the others music had had on them, the comfort that it had brought on so many of their darkest nights. 

“Well you’ll be glad to be rid of it then,” Emily said, and JJ felt her stomach drop. 

She turned to Emily who was holding up her own Walkman. “Well, I figured you’d want yours back. Better late than never.”

“Oh. Yes, of course.”

She let her thumb caress the cold surface of Emily’s Walkman, almost melancholy. Of course this was what was going to happen. _Why was she so disappointed?_ She shook her head and straightened up, collecting herself.

“Well, here you go Emily Prentiss, all of your sad techno sounds back in the right hands.”

She held out the Walkman and Emily followed suit. “And here you go Jennifer Jareau, all of your cheesy country power ballads.”

Their hands grazed as the Walkmans passed between them, and they both tried to hide the catch in their breath. They also tried to hide the disappointment that they both felt. That this felt like a breakup, which they both knew was ludicrous. 

“Back where they belong,” JJ resolved, holding her own Walkman to her chest, which felt odd, and looking out to the twinkling cityscape. 

“Back where they belong,” Emily agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE END
> 
> jk
> 
> Merrrry Christmas !!!!! Unfortunately you will not be reading the actual Christmas chapter until late January, but I hope this still suffices. I hope you all have as good a day as you can in these times xxx
> 
> songs:
> 
> Walk Like an Egyptian - the bangles
> 
> Everybody - backstreet boys
> 
> drops of jupiter - train


	8. the one with coup de foudre

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily discovers the unexpected identify of one of her students, JJ gets teased for a new favourite song, and Emily attends her first sporting event.

_“Il boit comme un trou.”_

Emily pointed to the boy near the back row who was mid yawn. He seemed to waken up when everyone suddenly turned their attention to him and laughed profusely. He grunted and threw the hood of his hoodie over his head, slouching back down. 

Emily cupped a hand to her ear, indicating that she wanted a translation from the class. 

“He’s drinking heavily!” the class answered as a chorus.

“And the literal translation?”

“Like a hole!”

Emily smiled and continued her walk up and down the space at the front of the lecture hall, thinking of another idiom to quiz – and embarrass – her students with. She’d caught a whiff of the boy’s breath when he’d trudged through the door; it was impossible to miss really. Why some students insisted on coming to class when they were half conscious she really didn’t know. At least she could have some fun with it. 

She tapped a finger to her chin, considering the audience before her for inspiration. Her eyes soon fell onto a girl in one of the middle rows, near the left hand side. She wasn’t half unconscious or hungover, but she was by no means paying attention. Her dark eyes had a glossy look to them as she stared ahead, like she was somewhere else entirely.

Emily stopped in her tracks and shouted the next idiom, pointing a finger at the girl in question. _“Être dans la lune!”_

Again there was a chorus of laughter. The girl only responded when her friend nudged her, sniggering at her friends expense. The girl blinked and looked around her, cheeks flushing. She was clearly more bothered by the public display than the boy had been. Emily felt a pang of guilt, but this would teach her to pay more attention. 

She cupped her ear again, and was met with the collective answer: “To daydream!” which was followed by “To be in the moon.” It was one of her favourites actually. 

“Okay, you guys aren’t too shabby! Some brains rattling about in there after all?”

She got some more laughs and she started her pacing again. “Who can tell me another idiom?” There was no response and so she turned her attention to the girl who was still looking like she wanted to disappear. “Kayla? How about you?”  


Kayla seemed taken aback but coughed and straightened up in her seat - a chance to redeem herself. With a sheepish expression, and the smallest voice, she answered: “Um, _Coup de foudre._ ” 

Emily’s face softened. 

“Translation?”

The class responded: _Love at first sight. A lightning strike._

With that the class came to an end, and Emily dismissed them with the promise of a test next week. She was met with groans, although she knew they appreciated being told in advance, having heard their rants about other lecturers who gave them pop quizzes. She watched as they descended the stairs and filtered out of the room. She caught sight of the _dans la lune_ girl and stood up from her position leaning against her desk.

“Kayla, can I speak with you for a minute?”

Kayla looked perplexed, turning to her friend with wide eyes. She mumbled something to her and gave her a pat on the shoulder before leaving. Kayla rubbed the back of her neck, shuffling towards Emily, who had leaned back against her desk; she hoped to look casual and unintimidating. 

She studied her for a moment, feeling herself slip back into her old profession; her skills came in handy teaching teenagers. 

“I’m sorry if I embarrassed you,” Emily said, which had Kayla snapping her head up in surprise - not the slap on the wrist she was expecting clearly.

“Oh, no, not at all,” she spluttered.

Emily narrowed her eyes. “It is important to pay attention in class though. You’re a bright girl, one of the best here. I’d hate to see you fall behind for no good reason.”

Kayla nodded, eager to make an escape. “Yes, absolutely mind and body are fully on planet earth from here on out.”

Emily took pause for a moment, considering her next words. This wasn’t her domain, being the supportive teacher; she wasn’t sure how to proceed or what was appropriate. It was clear something was going on with the girl. She hadn’t known her long, but she knew she wasn’t the type to daydream in class. She decided to let it be. If things got any worse, she’d reevaluate.

“I’m glad to hear it,” she said, and wished Kayla a pleasant day as she all but raced out of the hall. 

Emily had her own moment of relief, staring up at the ceiling. Suddenly her last job seemed so much easier. She was very glad to have reached her lunch break. Some food and chat with Penelope and the rest of their group was just what she needed. _Their group?_ She smiled a little at the thought. 

Ever since the return of the Walkmans last week, it had felt like something had shifted. It was odd to have her own Walkman back, with her own music that acted as the soundtrack to her teen years. Unexpectedly, it was nice, to listen to those songs having come to this point all these years later. Ironically, as she listened to one of her favourite Joy Division tracks, things felt _ordered._

It was almost like the drama of the situation had dwindled. Having spoken to JJ and not skirting around the subject anymore, she felt the tension dissipate. Well, there was still tension - for her anyway. But it wasn’t as overwhelming. She’d come to realise that JJ wasn’t some fantasy; she was just a person like any other. A person who she enjoyed the company of a great deal, along with her friends. She was so glad to have found them, and be accepted into their group. She was starting to feel like she belonged. 

* * *

“Oh JJ….”

“What?” JJ said, trying to sound indignant, though there was an embarrassed blush grazing her features. 

Penelope just shook her head. She’d heard JJ’s muffled singing in the shower that morning and was now demanding to know what it was. She hadn’t given in all morning, but now they were all sat down for lunch, and Derek had ratted her out after Penelope had given him the few lines she’d remembered. 

They were now all sat there listening to Rockstar by Nickelback, which played on the phone sitting on the middle of the table. 

“It’s um… inspirational,” Spencer threw in, trying to help JJ out.

“Spence, please don’t make fun.”

Spencer blinked. “I wasn’t.”

Tara was hiding her face behind her coffee cup, seemingly unable to mask her opinion. Derek was in hysterics and it was at that very moment that Emily came walking up to their table. JJ slumped down, putting her head flat on the table. _Just kill me now._

Emily’s face scrunched up as she got close enough to hear the music. “What the hell is this?”

Derek spat out his drink and JJ groaned louder. Penelope patted her on the back as Emily sat down, looking utterly confused. 

“Embrace the guilty pleasure JJ, it’s okay.”

JJ lifted her head up. “You don’t have any guilty pleasures.”

“No, that’s because my taste is impeccable.”

JJ lifted an eyebrow in contest.

Emily was staring at the phone like it was something truly horrific. It was Hotch of all people who stepped in. 

“JJ has a new favourite song it seems.”

Emily’s eyes widened and she coughed, trying to shake off the look of disdain she’d clearly been wearing. “Oh, it’s, well it’s… catchy.”

Derek chuckled. “Maybe so, but JJ just don’t play that around the kids, okay? Doesn’t exactly demonstrate good life choices.”

“Okay, you’ve had your fun!” JJ shouted, sat straight up in her seat again. “You all have your vices, don’t pretend like I’m the only one.”

They all seemed to go quite at that, like they knew JJ had dirt on them they’d rather not be revealed. 

“How was your class?” JJ asked Emily, eager to move onto other topics. 

She was glad they were in a place now where it felt comfortable to do so, to ask simple questions like that, just as friends would. Last week had changed things, after all the dancing around each other. It had felt daunting to hand over the Walkman after all those years, and she wouldn’t lie, she was sad to part with it. 

With both of them having their own Walkmans back, it felt like there wasn’t such an overwhelming, cosmic tie to each other. But in return she’d been given something far better. As the Walkmans had passed their hands again, their dynamic had also shifted. To now have Emily as a friend, to have her part of their group, it felt right. 

Emily gave her a smile before answering. “It was good…” She trailed off, clearly uncertain of if she should say more.

“What?”

Emily sighed. “Well, there’s this one girl, she’s usually really attentive in class, a model student. She’s one of the best actually. But today, I don’t know it was like she was in another world.”

“Hmm,” JJ mused, “Did you say anything to her?”

Emily bit her lip and looked nervously at the others before answering.

“I kind of publically embarrassed her?”

Derek clapped his hands together, grinning. “Oh I knew you’d take no shit, Prentiss.”

Emily seemed embarrassed herself now and looked to JJ. “Shouldn’t I have?”

JJ shrugged. “It depends on the student.”

Hotch nodded, seeming to agree. “Yes, I’ve found it to be an effective technique.”

Emily raised an eyebrow, but he did not elaborate. She turned back to JJ. 

“I wasn’t sure whether I should anything more, about if anything was going on.”

JJ gave a light laugh. “She was just a bit spaced out right? Happens to the best of them, I’m sure how you handled it was just right.”

Emily smiled. “Thanks.”

Penelope chimed in. “What was your class about today anyway? Can you teach us anything?”

Emily gave a knowing smile; Penelope loved any excuse to hear her speak French. “Idioms.”

“Ooo that’s fun!”

“Yeah, it was a pretty good class,” Emily admitted. “The girl I was talking about, she actually gave me a good answer when I quizzed her.”

“What was it?” JJ asked. 

Emily let her face soften as she turned towards her. _“Coup de foudre.”_

JJ’s cheeks flushed, obviously having caught the meaning and Penelope all but waved her hands between them. “Translation?!”

Emily turned away from JJ to answer. “It means a lightning strike. Love at first sight.”

Penelope’s jaw dropped a little before a smirk grew on her face. “How romantic.”

There was a snort and everyone looked to Tara who was shaking her head. 

“What?” Penelope pouted.

“Come on, love at first sight? There’s no such thing, only lust.”

“So that’s Tara crossed off the romantics in this group.”

“Nothing wrong with lust at first sight,” Derek sniggered. Penelope scowled at him.

This soon led them deep into a debate about love at first sight, of which Penelope seemed the only true advocate. Spencer’s argument relied heavily on chemical reactions in the brain and serotonin and dopamine, although nobody in the group was sure of which side he was on by the end of it. JJ and Emily sat the conversation out; maybe because neither was certain of which side they fell on either. 

They were coming to the end of their lunch break when Derek came bounding up to their table after disposing of everyone’s empty trays. He didn’t say a word, just thrust a handful of tickets out in front of him, waving them with a glee Emily hadn’t seen on him. JJ shrieked.

“For tonight?!” she questioned, jumping out of her seat.

“Yeah baby!”

“How?”

“Dave was meant to go tonight with his family but they’ve all come down with the flu!”

JJ didn’t even try to look sympathetic and promptly snatched the tickets out from Derek’s hand. She stared down at them, a similar excitement twinkling in her eyes. 

Emily coughed. “Em, what’s going on?”

Penelope leaned in towards her. “If I’m correct, these would be tickets to the hockey game Derek and JJ have been trying to get tickets to for weeks, but failed.”

“Oh.” The excitement from the two of her friends still didn’t seem warranted.

Derek was all but bouncing on his feet. “There are four tickets here, who else is in?”

JJ had already claimed her ticket so it was clear there were just two spaces left. However looking around the table nobody else looked particularly enthused about it. 

Hotch stood up and brushed down his suit jacket. “I’m afraid me and Haley have reservations for dinner tonight.”

“Okay, Hotch is out, what about you kid?”

Spencer explained that there was a documentary on that night that he’d been looking forward to for weeks. Tara also politely declined, saying she had a date with a bottle of whiskey and a Led Zeppelin concert on TV. Which left Penelope and Emily. Penelope sighed and stood up to take the ticket from Derek’s outstretched hand. 

“Well I don’t want to waste a night out.”

Derek gave her a fist bump and turned to Emily. “What do you say Prentiss?”

Emily wouldn’t lie, the idea of spending a night huddled up in a crowd of hundreds of other people, screaming at men skating up and down an ice rink, all while freezing, didn’t sound like a good night out to her. But then JJ looked at her and she saw the twinkle in her eyes again. She wouldn’t mind seeing that for a night, even if she froze in the process. 

She threw her hands up in defeat. “Alright, count me in.”

“Yes!” Derek went to hand her her ticket, bowing as he did so, as if it was something sacred. “Here you go, milady.”

Emily rolled her eyes and snatched the thing from him before she had the chance to change her mind. 

* * *

“Come on! You call that a pass! Move goddammit!”

JJ was on her feet alongside Derek and a number of other spectators. Emily and Penelope were sat firmly in their seats beside them, picking at a shared box of popcorn.

“I thought we were on the blue and red guys’ side?” Emily inquired, leaning in next to Penelope. 

Penelope smiled. “We are, but the Pittsburgh Penguins are JJ’s home team.”

Emily frowned. “So which side is she on?”

Penelope laughed. “Oh it changes game by game. Also depends on how competitive she’s feeling. For this game, she has a $50 bet on the penguins against Derek so she’s pretty riled up, as you can see.”

Emily watched as the red and blue team – the New York Rangers – scored another goal and JJ cursed, falling down into her seat.

“Oh you chose the wrong team tonight Jareau,” Derek laughed as he moved past them to exit the stands, “I’m taking a comfort break, you guys want anything?”

They all shook their heads, although JJ did so with a grumble. Penelope nudged Emily and she leaned close again to hear her whisper. “Honestly, they’re the real entertainment. Why do you think I gave up my Friday night on this?”

Emily laughed and wrapped her arms around herself. She had to admit it was pretty entertaining, seeing the two so wound up, regressing into childlike antics. That didn’t change the fact however that she was freezing her tits off. She’d asked Derek how cold it would be, but she realised he hadn’t been the right person to ask. She was one step away from chattering her teeth when Penelope rose to her feet. 

“You know what, I actually could use some more snacks, any requests?”

The two women shook their heads as Penelope followed in the same direction Derek had gone. JJ watched Emily shivering for a moment before sliding into Penelope’s vacant seat. Emily shot her head round. She was met with the sight of JJ offering her the blue scarf that had previously been wrapped around her neck, all intensity from before dissipated.

“You looked cold,” she said plainly.

Emily could have scoffed, tried to pretend otherwise, but her red nose and shivering body couldn’t be hidden. She stared at the offered scarf, darting her eyes between it and its owner before she gave in. With an all but whispered thank you she wrapped it around her own neck. As she pulled the soft wool tighter around her freezing skin, a distinctive smell of vanilla filled her senses. It was intoxicating.

“You having fun?” JJ asked, breaking her out of her daze. 

Emily wracked her brain for something to say before JJ laughed. “It was a rhetorical question, I can see this isn’t your scene. Honestly I’m surprised you came at all.”

Emily shrugged. “Oh you know, try new things and all.”

“Sports just aren’t your thing in general are they?”

“Not really, no.”

“Well I’m glad you gave it a go anyway. I won’t make Derek drag you along to any others, promise.”

Emily smiled. “Well I can’t say it’s been completely devoid of entertainment.”

JJ gave her a playful shove and Emily felt some of the heat return to her. “Really though, I can see how you can get so into it. There’s something escapist about it. It gets you out of your head for a couple of hours.”

A smile crept onto JJ’s face at the unexpected comment. “Well thank you for saying that. You don’t think we’re just a couple of dumb jocks then?”

Emily wavered. “Not entirely anyway.”

JJ rolled her eyes before her face softened. She watched Emily in a way that made her feel like she was looking right through her. “So what thoughts are running around in your head?”

Emily was caught off guard. She’d still been worrying about earlier, that was true. She thought she’d been doing a good job of hiding it by teasing JJ and Derek but that clearly hadn’t worked. Not on JJ. Even while so lost in the game she’d still noticed. 

Emily relented. “I just hope I didn’t traumatise her or something.”

“The girl in your class?”

“Yeah.”

She expected JJ to laugh at what was probably an overreaction but she didn’t. She just kept giving her that warm, comforting smile. “I meant what I said earlier, I’m sure you did exactly the right thing.”

Emily bit her lip to hold back the impending grin she felt. “Thanks.”

“It can be hard with kids, knowing what to do and say, when to be strict and when to cut them some slack.”

“You’re a counselor, I imagine your job’s a lot harder than mine.”

JJ shrugged. “It can be a challenge, but I wouldn’t swap it for anything.”

Emily sighed. “It’s just so different.”

“Teaching at an American University?”

Emily cursed herself. “Yeah, that.” _Not teaching entirely, no she’d definitely taught before. This wasn’t her first time doing so. Not completely different to her last line of work._

“Really,” JJ continued, “I’m sure that girl is having a laugh about it with her friends right now, and she’ll make sure to not daydream in class again.”

Emily nodded, thinking. “Yeah, I hope so. Kayla’s just such a bright student, I want her to do the best for herself.”

She turned to JJ who seemed slow to respond. She was looking at Emily like she’d added 2+2 and gotten 5.

“What?”

JJ let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. “This student was Kayla?”

“Yeah.”

“Kayla Brooke?”

Emily frowned, not knowing where she was going with this. “Yeah, do you counsel her?”

JJ all but face palmed. “Emily, Kayla is Derek’s niece.”

Emily blinked. “She’s what?”

JJ let out another laugh, disbelieving. “Don’t you remember him telling you she was taking your class?”

Emily wracked her brain but couldn’t find any recollection. She must have been in a daydream of her own at the time. Fitting. 

“I can’t say I remember that,” she admitted, still trying to flick through memories of the few weeks she’d known them. 

“It was the first day we met - again,” JJ supplied, “Taco Tuesday.”

Emily frowned, but soon the memory was coming back to her, in a haze of astonishment and anxiety. “Oh yeah.” She wrapped her arms tighter around herself. “I was a bit out of it that day.”

JJ smiled knowingly. “Likewise.”

Emily shook her head, not believing she could have missed something like this. “Well, Kayla’s a great kid, I’m sure Derek’s very proud of her.”

JJ nodded, amusement on her face. “Oh yeah he is. Also very protective, so best keep any minor concerns to yourself. Not if he doesn’t need to know.”

Emily gave her own nod in agreement.

“What’s this about Kayla?” Penelope, seeming to appear magically before them, inquired. She eyed JJ who had stolen her seat, looking between the two suspiciously before sitting down in the empty space. She handed them an assortment of the snacks she’d collected.

JJ straightened up, giving her a smile. “Oh, just that she’s doing great in Emily’s class.”

Emily looked at her to express her thanks and nodded in agreement. Penelope scoffed. “Well we know that, Kayla’s our little star.”

Emily noted that Derek wasn’t the only one proud of the girl. She must have been a surrogate niece for Penelope - the whole group she expected. This would help guide her through any future incidents. It was then that Derek returned, appearing eager to continue the game. He didn’t seem to be bothered by JJ changing seats. 

“That she is!” he agreed. “You better not be giving her any special treatment though,” he said, pointing a finger at Emily.

She shook her head adamantly. “Oh, never.”

“Good,” Derek said, digging into some popcorn. 

“Hey, why didn’t you invite Kayla tonight?” JJ asked as if it would have been the obvious choice.

“Basketball practice,” Derek answered through a mouthful of popcorn.

JJ nodded, finding this an acceptable answer. 

“Oh,” Derek started, “following on from our music conversation, you know who Kayla likes? Avril Lavigne.”

Penelope gasped, like she’d just had a revelation and turned to Emily – which left her rather confused. 

“Oh, you would have totally been an Avril girl!” she exclaimed. 

Derek and JJ both burst out into laughter as Emily frowned at the observation. “A what?”

“Avril Lavigne! I can totally see it, if you were a teenager right now that would definitely be your jam.”

_“My jam?”_

JJ tried to stifle her laughter into her drink but failed. “I mean, she’s not wrong, I can see it too.”

Emily raised an eyebrow. “And you know exactly what kind of music I’d be listening to in this alternate universe?”

JJ smirked. “Actually, yes I do.”

Emily matched her smile, letting the subject drop. “I guess I’ll have to give them a listen then.”

“Her,” Derek corrected.

“Right.”

* * *

“I can’t believe this.” Derek shook his head as he handed over a handful of notes, amounting to $50, to an elated JJ.

“I knew they’d make a comeback!” She snatched the money off him and all but did a victory dance. 

They exited Madison Square Garden along with the hoards of other spectators. Which left them standing outside in the cool night air, waiting for a taxi, along with the hoards of other spectators. Emily pulled the blue scarf that she still wore tighter around herself. It still smelled of vanilla. Derek had wrapped his arm around Penelope as she complained of the cold and Emily smiled, averting her eyes towards the traffic. JJ came to join her at the edge of the sidewalk where she waited in the taxi queue.

“So you survived your first sporting event. Congratulations.”

Emily laughed. “Thank you.”

There was a moments silence, the two of them taking in the nighttime atmosphere, the sounds of laughing crowds and passing traffic. 

“So,” JJ said, breaking the silence, “ _Coup de foudre._ What side of the debate are you on?”

Emily’s eyes widened a little, surprised by the question. She leaned her head back, staring at the buildings reaching up towards the night sky, contemplating her answer. What felt like minutes later she turned towards JJ who hadn’t taken her eyes off of her. 

“There can be an attraction, but I think love is something that happens over time, something two people have to build together.”

JJ’s eyes searched her face for something Emily wasn’t certain of. “I think I agree.”

A taxi arrived sooner than she expected, and she turned to the others.

“You take it,” Penelope said, waving her off.

“You sure? We could share?”

“It’s okay, they get grumpy when they have to go out their way, especially on a night like this. We’ll get the next one.”

Emily nodded and approached the taxi. Before she opened the door she caught herself.

“Oh, hey.” She removed the scarf around her neck and handed it back to JJ. “Thank you for this as well.”

JJ smiled, taking it back and running her hands along the wool. “You’re welcome, Avril girl.”

Emily rolled her eyes.

* * *

Hours later, when Emily couldn’t sleep, she laid in bed listening to Avril Lavigne, and found herself smiling at the words that passed through her ears. _Who knows what could happen, indeed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell what I love more, Emily becoming an Avril stan or JJ singing Nickelback in the shower. 
> 
> Also, I apologise to any French speakers, I'm afraid google translate is as far as my proficiency goes. 
> 
> songs:
> 
> disorder - joy division  
> rockstar - nickelback  
> who knows - avril lavigne


	9. the one where emily is full of surprises

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After filling in for a lecture and somehow ending up volunteering, Emily finds she's revealed more about herself than she bargained for. But that seemed to be becoming a habit.

“Thank you.”

JJ smiled as she found herself wrapped up in a tight hug. She patted the girl on the back, and walked her to the door, promising to see her next week, and asking her to email if she needed anything. Once the girl had left and the door was closed, she fell into the seat at her desk, letting out a sigh - not quite one of relief, that wasn’t the right word; although she was happy to have reached the end of that session, to see a smile on the girl’s face when before she’d been in tears. 

She saw a wide variety of students in her job, all dealing with their own issues, ranging from anxiety, to homesickness, to more specific personal problems. Work related stress and anxiety, even homesickness, she had become extremely well versed in. She knew how to deal with those cases without much problem, although every student was different. What was difficult was when it went deeper than that, issues that had been prevalent far before university life, that were only overflowing now they were away from home. 

And she was their main support system. The girl she’d just seen had been one of those cases. She was still able to help her, knew her well enough by now to know what she needed. Really, in this case it was just someone to talk to. But it still took something out of her afterwards. She reminded her of Roz. 

JJ closed her eyes and took a deep breath, making the movement a conscious decision, feeling the cool air inhale through her nose and the hot air exhale through her mouth. This was a technique she’d learned from her own therapist in years past. Yes, even therapists had their own therapist. In fact, JJ thought it should be a requirement sometimes, given the horror stories she’d heard from students about past counselors they’d had. 

She finished her breathing by remembering the smile on the girl’s face as she’d left. JJ stood up, ready for the rest of her day with the assurance that she’d helped someone feel just that little bit better. She looked to her watch, having sensed the time ticking over, and went to collect her phone from her bag. She always kept it in there, switched off, during sessions. 

“Hey Pen,” she said after pressing the number 1 on speed dial, “My last session ran over, would you mind picking me up - ”

Before she could finish her sentence she was cut off by the high-spirited voice of her friend. 

“A tuna wrap? Peaches, I’m already in line.”

JJ laughed. “Of course you are, thank you, I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

She snapped the phone shut and began tidying up her notes. 

* * *

Emily had been awoken that morning, on her morning _off,_ at 6am by the blaring bass of _Blue Monday._ At first she was confused in her half-awake state, before remembering Penelope had recently changed her ringtone for her. She’d been horrified to hear the standard plain beeping one she’d had when she’d taken a call in their presence and had promptly asked for her favourite song. It had been JJ who’d answered.

She rolled over and begrudgingly lifted her phone from the side table, flipping it open. 

“Hello.” Her voice was rough, from just waking up and also from aggravation. She was caught off guard when Hotch’s monotone answered her.

“Emily, good morning.” He sounded rushed, if that could be classed as an emotion.

“Good morning.” She was still aggravated, but confusion was now winning out. 

“I’ve had to rush Haley to the doctor’s, so I’m not going to make it to my classes this morning,” he relayed. 

Emily suddenly felt more awake as her stomach dropped. “Is everything okay?” She found herself asking the question automatically before realizing how stupid it was. 

“I hope so. She says she’s fine, but I don’t want to take any chances.”

“No, of course. I hope everything goes okay.”

“Thank you.” There was a very awkward silence and Emily wondered if she should continue. Before she could say anything else – though she didn’t know what – Hotch spoke again.

“JJ told me that you took some criminal law classes at university.”

_Understatement._ Well, it made sense now. Emily relaxed somewhat, just glad that he didn’t want her to accompany them to doctors or anything of the sort – though that would have been ludicrous. 

“Yes,” she sighed, still not overjoyed at the idea of getting out of bed, “That is indeed correct. 9am start?”

“Yes,” Hotch answered, not beating around the bush. He sounded like he was driving. “I’ll email you the class details. Thank you Emily.”

“No problem,” she said, though her tone suggested otherwise. 

And so Emily found herself taking a 2nd year criminal law lecture. She could tell when she walked in that the students were expecting a free pass for an hour. That she’d just give them some reading to do and be happy enough to ignore the chatter that would ensue. It was fair to say it came as a shock when she set down her briefcase, removed her jacket and immediately started relaying the fine details of criminal law. The students were almost aghast when she dared to ask them questions. 

She worried for a moment that she’d gone too far, proving to know too much for someone who just took some classes at university 15 years ago. But seeing the looks on the student’s faces, she couldn’t bring herself to regret it. 

She was getting ready to prepare for the next class when her phone rang for the second time that morning. She answered it to find the same person on the other end. Hotch thanked her for stepping in but informed her that he was making his way in for the next class and she could leave. She insisted that she didn’t mind staying and he should stay with Haley, but he told her Haley had all but kicked him out the door. He had only relented after she and the doctor had insisted she was okay. 

Emily retreated to her office until it was time for lunch; there was no point in making the journey back to her apartment, of which she wasn’t even particularly fond. Her office would do just fine. Besides, it meant she was more likely to get on with marking, of which there always seemed to be more needing done. She’d gotten through more than enough before the hour was up, and decided she could take an early lunch. _I should really make more of my mornings off in future,_ she thought, though knew that was unlikely. 

On entering the cafeteria, she was surprised to find she was the first person to arrive, and so claimed an unoccupied table for their group. It wasn’t long before the others started to arrive, all but JJ, who usually came in tow with Penelope. She tried not to sound too concerned. 

“JJ will be with us momentarily, her session ran over,” Penelope explained as she sat down with both her and JJ’s lunch. Almost like she had read Emily’s mind.

They were soon joined by Derek, Spencer and Tara, and also Hotch. He was regarding Emily more closely than usual, watching her in a way that made her feel she was under interrogation. 

Penelope jumped in before he could say a word. “How is Haley, and my little niece or nephew or however they present themselves? There should really be a gender neutral name for that.”

Hotch managed a small smile as he sat down. “They are both fine, it appears I had a bit of an overreaction.”

“What was wrong?”

“I’m sure Haley would not appreciate me going into detail about her symptoms, but we’ve been assured it’s all normal. Now that she’s in her second trimester her symptoms should start to die down.”

Tara laughed. “Oh I bet she was kicking you out of that apartment.”

Penelope seemed to have calmed down at this assurance. “Well I’m making a visit as soon as the day is over. I’ll bring muffins.”

Hotch smiled again. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate that.” It was then that he turned to Emily. 

“Thank you again for filling in, I know it was a hassle for you to come in.”

Emily nodded, not inclined to disagree. “You can pay me back by filling in for one of my classes.”

Everyone laughed at the suggestion that Hotch could ever speak a word of French.

He grimaced. “Maybe I could buy you a coffee instead.”

“Make it 5 and we’ll call it even.”

“Deal.”

It was then that JJ arrived, eyebrows raised. “What’s this about buying coffee?” She shot Emily a knowing look and she smiled. 

“I was just finding a way to pay Emily back for stepping in for my class this morning,” Hotch explained.

JJ’s brow then furrowed, becoming more serious. “Why was that? Is Haley okay?” Her intuition was impeccable. 

“Everything is perfect, I just had an overreaction.”

JJ nodded, her shoulders dropping as she relaxed. “I’m glad.” She then turned back to Emily, amusement returned to her face. “So, how’d it go?”

Hotch stepped in before she could answer. “Well, that’s what I was about to say. I ran into one of my second years earlier. He said you were fantastic.”

Emily tried to hide the reddening of her cheeks, raising her drink to her lips.

“Is that so?” Penelope leaned forward, all ears. 

Hotch nodded and continued as he opened up his wrap. “Yes, he said you had an impeccable knowledge of criminal law.”

“He used that word?” Derek asked, skeptical.

“Well, to direct quote, he said ‘Professor Prentiss knows her shit.’”

The unexpected language from the man had Emily almost choking on her own wrap. Penelope leaned over to slap a hand to her back. She coughed, and composed herself, thanking her friend. 

“You must have a very good memory,” Hotch continued, eyes narrowing in her direction.

Emily merely nodded, taking another sip from her drink. 

Hotch didn’t let up. “He also said you had expert knowledge of recent international laws, far more recent than the classes you took at university would have been.”

“I like to keep up,” Emily supplied. 

Hotch continued to regard her, profiling her you could say. JJ stepped in. 

“Well it’s a good thing she does,” she added, taking a sip from her water, “Or else your class would most likely have wasted an hour and you’d have to spent the next lecture catching them up.”

Emily looked to her, silently thanking her, while Hotch seemed to step down.

“Well,” Derek announced, splaying his hands across the table, “now that the interrogation is over, who is free tomorrow afternoon?”

Penelope shot her hand up in a second. “What grand adventure awaits us?”

“Well I ran into Matt yesterday.”

Penelope suddenly seemed very excited, which left Emily curious. 

Derek laughed as he continued. “He didn’t say as much but you know Matt. I think he could use some help down at the centre.”

_The centre?_ That sounded far too ominous for Emily’s liking. 

Penelope’s face fell. “I thought they were doing great.”

Derek shrugged. “They lost a few more volunteers this summer.”

Penelope’s face continued to fall. “Well that won’t do. Count me in.”

“Great, I know how you love to relax on your weekends.”

Penelope shook her head adamantly. “Not when a higher calling awaits.”

JJ also raised her hand. “Count me in too. I can do Saturday afternoons.”

Spencer offered his services too, while Hotch and Tara apologised but they already had commitments. Which left Emily, as usual, utterly confused. “Before I sign my life away, what exactly is this centre?”

Penelope laughed and patted her on the back. “Do not fret my darling Emily, you’ll fit right in.”

* * *

24 hours later Emily found herself staring at the sight in front of her, repeating Penelope’s words from yesterday in her head. _You’ll fit right in._ She had suspected the words to be sarcasm and now it was confirmed. 

Emily was currently standing outside a modestly sized building on the far side of Brooklyn, not an area she had ever ventured to. Although that wasn’t saying much, she’d hardly ventured outside of her apartment since moving back, and not much more could be said for her university years. 

It was a mild day with a slight breeze, rustling the orange leaves of trees scattered around the building. The sight in front of her could best be described as a scene from a teen movie. Kids were running around a basketball court, clearly not deterred by the cooling weather. Others were throwing a football back and forth on a small patch of grass next to it. There were more sat on a small set of bleachers, watching both games unfold. A small circle of boys and girls were sat to the side, playing music and _oh god,_ one of them had a guitar. It was like a high school on happy pills. 

Emily was wondering if it was too late to turn back when there was a head popping over her shoulder. She had to stop herself from once again reaching for her hip. 

“You made it!” the chipper voice of Spencer Reid rung out, far too close to her ear. 

Emily shuffled a few steps to the side. “It appears so.”

Emily took another scan of the surroundings before regarding Spencer in all his gangly glory. “I wouldn’t have thought this was your scene, no offence.”

Spencer laughed. “None taken. My expertise are more appreciated inside.”

And with that he gestured for her to follow before heading to the entrance of the block-like building. Emily steeled herself and followed. 

The first thing that struck her was the pop music streaming out from the main room. She held back any comments before she stepped inside. 

She had to admit, it was nicer inside than the exterior would suggest. It almost looked set up as a university dorm, with couches and beanbags, a TV, a Ping-Pong table and even a little kitchen on the back wall. There was also a small line of computer stations to the side, where some students were currently working. Two girls were playing videos games. A boy was curled up in a beanbag, quite content to read alone. There was even a piano, which granted didn’t look like it had gotten much use, but it was still there. It was… nice. Perhaps Emily had been too quick to judge. 

“Afternoon!” 

Emily snapped her head up at the greeting. She was presented with a very tall man – well, he matched Spencer’s height. But it wasn’t just his height. There was an aura about him, one of kindness and warmth, of safety, which Emily usually found lacking in a man of his stature. He reminded her of Derek. 

“Afternoon Matt, how are you?” Spencer greeted in his ever-chipper tone. 

“I’m doing just fine, thank you.” He smiled at them both as he stood opposite them, letting his eyes fall onto Emily for just a moment longer. His hands rested on his hips.

“Am I right in saying we have a new member?”

Emily stiffened instantly at the remark and straightened up. “I’m not joining any cult if that’s what this is.”

Matt laughed, throwing his hands up. “Not at all, just a youth group.”

Emily nodded slowly as she mulled over her surroundings again. She’d never been in one, clearly, but it did seem to be a perfect example of what one should be - a safe haven for these kids. Where they were able to run free in a sheltered environment, free to play and have fun as well as building themselves into the people they had the potential to be. Most importantly it seemed they were free to be themselves. Ambassador Prentiss wouldn’t have been caught dead leaving her daughter in a place like this. 

“Matt Simmons.” The man offered his hand and Emily stepped forward to shake it.

“Emily Prentiss.”

“So Emily, what can you bring to the table?”

Emily shrugged. “Well I can speak six languages.”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up. “That could certainly come in handy.”

Spencer suddenly perked up and a grin broke out on his face. “Antonio!” He moved past Emily and Matt to greet a boy – about 15 – who’d just entered from the back.

“Hey Reid!” Emily had to blink when the boy gave Spencer a fist bump and they did what could only be described as a secret handshake. So Derek wasn’t the only one who was down with the kids. 

“How’s the Physics coming along?” Spencer enquired. Emily had to admit it was an odd sight to see him interacting with a teenager. 

“Good, I need to pick a subject for my project though. I’m thinking about simple harmonic motion.”

Spencer didn’t seem satisfied with this idea and lead him towards a computer to the side. “I think we can think of something far better than that. How do you feel about lasers?” 

Antonio nodded enthusiastically and joined Spencer at a computer, emptying the contents of his schoolbag onto the desk. Emily felt Matt come up behind her. 

“Believe it or not that kid was close to being kicked out of school before he started coming here.”

Emily’s eyebrows shot up. “Wow that’s some turn around.”

Matt nodded. “Some kids need encouragement to even go to school, others need more attention, from uh,” he gestured to Spencer, “Someone more on their level.” 

Emily laughed lightly. “Indeed.”

There was a heavy clatter and Emily and Matt looked to each other for a second, confusion evident on their faces. A moment later a woman went walking by a far away corridor, heaving with her a large coffee table. 

“Do I have to do everything on my own around here? Come on, tea break’s over!”

Matt shook his head with a smile and followed her instructions. Emily had another glance around the room, seeing everything was in order, before following. She found herself in a small room mostly filled with cardboard boxes, and the coffee table that the woman was now setting down with help from Matt. She gave a loud groan as it touched the ground and straightened out her back, stretching her arms. 

“Well I might as well cancel my gym membership.”

She seemed to then notice the new addition and gave Emily a curious smile. Emily shifted uncomfortably. 

“Uh, I’m Emily, Derek brought me.”

The woman laughed. “Ah, the new French professor. Kate Callahan, pleasure to meet you.”

She offered her hand across the table and Emily shook it. “Emily Prentiss, though I’m sure you already knew that.”

“Well, we’re always glad to have more help. Trying to turn this space into a ‘conference room’ if you will.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, well, we’re trying to get the kids to engage more with the academic side of things. Didn’t really have the means to before but since Derek and the others started helping out? Some of them actually started wanting to learn.”

“So I’ve been told,” Emily replied. “That’s great.” And she meant it. It seemed that this place meant a lot to them all, Derek especially. Which wasn’t surprising given his chosen career as a professor of social work.

“Yeah, it’s a good space for them to learn at their own pace. Somewhere where they don’t feel judged you know?”

Emily nodded. She couldn’t say she’d had the same kinds of struggles as a lot of the kids here, but she understood that sentiment. She wondered if her life would have gone differently if she herself had had a place like this growing up - somewhere to offer proper guidance.

“So you actually teach them here?” 

Kate waved her hand as she shifted some boxes, making room. “Not anything like the education they should be getting from schools.” 

“We mostly offer help with homework, like extra support,” Matt supplied, “But some kids do need more help if they struggle at school. Every kid’s different.”

“Well, I think that’s great.”

Both of them grinned. “Thank you.”

“So where do you want me?” Emily asked, opening her arms. She couldn’t quite believe her current position. 

Kate dumped some more boxes into a pile. “Well, we’ve got a few kids struggling through their French and Spanish homework right now. Or you could help us move more furniture?”

“Homework it is.”

As Emily made her way back through to the main room she caught a glimpse outside through a window where the kitchen was. It showed a view of the grass Emily had seen when she’d first arrived. Kids were still running around kicking a soccer ball about. But now she saw JJ was there too, running along aside them, pointing as if she were giving them tips. There was a huge smile on her face. Emily couldn’t help but have one too. 

* * *

“She shoots, she scores!” JJ raised her hands in celebration as the ball hit the back of the net, just grazing past the fingertips of the boy in goal. The girl who’d made the shot did her own celebratory dance as her teammates ran up to join. JJ fell to the ground, taking in the sight with a warm smile. They reminded her of her own days of playing soccer, the joy of making a goal and sharing it with your friends.

“Did you see that?!” the girl who’d made the shot – Priya - ran up to her, energy still radiating off her.

“I did, that was amazing Priya, you’ve really improved.”

Priya grinned, overjoyed with the compliment and ran back to her friends. JJ took that moment to take in her surroundings. Derek was still engrossed in his own game of football, choosing to join in as a player rather than coach as JJ had done. She shook her head. Typical. 

She looked over her shoulder to see inside the centre. Through the window she saw Spencer talking with Antonio, most likely explaining a complex science experiment he could use to impress his teacher - again, typical. Next to them was Penelope talking with a girl at a computer, she imagined giving her tips on social media.

Further in she caught a glimpse of a sight she wasn’t as familiar with. Emily was sat with a girl on the couch, textbook out and making large gestures with her hands. The girl laughed and she saw the smile on Emily’s face at the response. JJ couldn’t help but match it. She also couldn’t resist the urge to see the display up close. She heaved herself up, dusted her grass-covered leggings down and made her way inside. 

She passed Penelope and Spencer who were busy tending to their own kids. JJ’s suspicions were confirmed when she heard Penelope telling the girl all about the best username to pick and how to get a good profile picture, but also most importantly, how to make her profile private. 

JJ smiled and looked ahead to where Emily and the girl were sitting. But they weren’t sitting on the couch anymore, looking over French. No, they were sitting at the piano. JJ felt her interest peak as she took a few tentative steps forward, like she would if she didn’t want to scare an animal away. Emily’s shoulders were relaxed, and she saw the smile on her face as she turned to look at the girl. She hadn’t seen her here before. But then again she hadn’t been here since before the summer. She was tiny, only 12 JJ would have guessed, certainly among the youngest there.

She was tapping away at the keys in a jaunty manner, the way a child does. But it was clear she did have talent, even if it was in its blossoming stages. Emily nodded along, encouraging her with that warm smile on her face. The girl then halted her own playing and nudged Emily, gesturing to the black and white keys. JJ watched curiously as Emily deliberated for a moment. She couldn’t look away when Emily’s hands lightly fell onto the keys and she started to play. And JJ felt a tug at her heart. 

The room was filled with the most beautiful airy, dreamlike music - she was sure the most beautiful the place had ever heard. It was certainly the most beautiful she had heard. The girl was overjoyed by this surprise, and clapped her hands together in glee. Emily just had that small smile again as she continued to play. JJ almost felt like she should look away, like this was a private moment she was intruding on. She hoped Emily wouldn’t mind. 

It was at that moment that she nearly toppled over when Spencer all but materialized behind her. 

“Wow, she’s good isn’t she,” he piped. 

JJ held back a laugh at the timing but nodded. “Yes, you could say that.” 

Spencer’s arrival had altered Emily to the fact that she had an audience, and she snatched her hands from the keys, as if they were burning hot. She turned around, looking like a kid who’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t. 

“Oh do not stop on our account,” Spencer assured.

“Certainly not,” Penelope, who’d joined in on their little viewing party, added with a glint in her eye.

Emily had a somewhat sheepish smile and turned her gaze to JJ. She didn’t say anything, just gave her a warm smile that she hoped was encouraging. She was glad to see Emily return it and then return to the piano. She paused, however, before setting her hands on the keys again. She looked at the girl for a moment before leaning in to whisper something to her. The girl immediately began nodding enthusiastically and Emily smiled. 

She then started to play a familiar tune, and paused, letting the girl follow. Once the girl had the notes flowing Emily joined in with the other hand and the recognizable song became apparent. It was from Oliver & Company, the Disney film. JJ couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing, unable to look away. They all stood watching them play in an unexpected harmony, as the sun began to set, casting a warm dusty glow over the room.

“I knew she was full of surprises,” Penelope whispered to JJ.

JJ smiled. “So it seems.”

Once the song had reached its conclusion there was a rupture of applause. The girl leaped up and took her bow, which made everyone laugh. Emily just rose to her feet and smiled a little with a shrug. The girl rushed over to Penelope who gave her a high five, and requested that she teach her how to play. JJ took the opportunity to join Emily. 

“So, who knew you were a closet Disney fan?”

Emily grimaced and sat back down on the piano bench. “Well I wouldn’t go that far. I suppose you could say I have a particular soft spot for that film.”

JJ eyed her suspiciously. “Well okay then. You do know that Penelope won’t let this go though right? You’re in for a slew of Disney film nights.”

Emily let her head fall back and gave a low groan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, I've been preparing to start a new course so haven't had as much time to update. This is probably be the new timeframe going forward. Anyway, this is turning into a cheese fest isn't it! It only gets worse, don't worry. 
> 
> Songs:  
> Keep on moving' - Five  
> 2 Arabesques, L. 66: No. 1 in E Major - Claude Debussy  
> Good Company (from Oliver & Company) - Pianomation


	10. the one with a happy birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily is ambushed with a birthday celebration.

It was the fourth time that Emily was awoken by the thumping bass of Blue Monday that she thought she really had to change her ringtone - otherwise it would become her most hated song, not her favourite. 

She could already guess who it would be before she answered. Apart from Hotch the only person who had made a habit of calling her this early was Penelope, usually asking her if she wanted to catch an early breakfast before work. She had relented on one occasion. Surely Penelope had gotten the hint by now though that she wasn’t a morning person. Besides, the clock on her bedside clarified her suspicions that it was indeed Sunday; Penelope usually liked a lie-in at the weekend. 

Sure enough she was greeted by the chipper voice of Penelope Garcia. What she wasn’t expecting was the contents of her greeting. 

“Happy Birthday!”

Emily’s eyes widened, and she found herself at a loss for words. 

“What?” she was partly asking how Penelope could possibly know that information, but also asking if it was indeed her birthday. She’d given herself the privilege of losing track of the days as of late, only making note of important work related dates.

But Penelope only continued the sentiment, flowing into a song. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Emilllllllyyy, Happy birthday to you!”

Emily had to hold the phone back to save her eardrums. There was a pause once she finished and Emily coughed. “Uh, thanks.”

“That doesn’t sound like a happy birthday girl! Come on, you’re 35, in your prime!”

Emily looked to the clock on her bedside table again, zeroing in on the little numbers indicating the date. Sure enough: 12th October 2005. She held back a groan and flung herself over onto her front, barely holding the phone to her ear. 

“Penelope, how did you know that?”

“Never you mind, just meet us downstairs.”

“Downstairs??? _Us ???”_ Emily’s groggy morning voice was well and truly gone, replaced by a panicked shrill. 

She could hear Penelope smiling on the other end. “See you in 10.” 

Suddenly finding a new lease of energy, Emily scrambled out of bed and rushed to the large ceiling to floor length window, snatching the blackout curtains back. Looking down, she was met by the sight of Penelope and the others standing on the sidewalk. Derek held a big canopy of balloons. _Oh Christ._

* * *

“Hey, watch the balloons!” Derek warned, narrowly avoiding the incoming swipe from Tara who was applying a hairpin. 

She merely raised an eyebrow in response. “Emily really doesn’t strike me as a balloon kind of gal.”

Derek shrugged as he took another step back. “Hey, I’m just following orders.”

Which was when Penelope joined their group again, snapping her phone shut with a gleeful grin. “She’ll be down in 10.”

Tara chuckled. “Will she, or was that your demand?”

Penelope waved her off and busied herself with checking the balloons were all in order - literally. They were arranged to display the words _‘Happy Birthday Princess.’_ Derek had picked them out. JJ could only imagine Emily’s reaction. 

“This is fun,” Spencer announced, “We should do this for every birthday.”

Derek rolled out his neck. “Oh I do not have the energy for that.”

Spencer seemed to deflate a little and Derek relented. “We’ll do something special for your 30th, deal?”

Spencer pouted. “That’s 2 years away.”

“Gives us lots of time to plan.”

Spencer lit up, a suggestion on his lips, but Derek quickly cut him off. “Hey, you want it to be a surprise don’t you?”

JJ shook her head as they continued to bicker. She took a moment to regard the grand building in front of her, leaning her head back to see the full length of it stretch towards pale blue sky. It was impressive, oozing of class and sophistication - somewhere you’d have to plan your outfit before you entered. One of the new apartment complexes on the Upper East Side, it was also exactly the kind of place you expected someone who spoke six languages to live. JJ and Penelope’s own apartment felt like a world away rather than a 10-minute subway ride. 

Sooner than she was expecting, she spotted a familiar figure appearing out from the front entrance. Emily grumbled as she stepped out from the revolving door. The way she wrapped her long jacket around herself, shoulders hunched, she reminded JJ of girls from university – the ones who were always unfortunate to be caught out during a fire alarm when they were in the shower. 

Her demeanor lightened somewhat as she caught sight of JJ, managing a small smile. But then her eyes fell onto the balloons and a look of horror had replaced it.

“Happy birthday princess!” Derek announced, opening up his arms as best he could while still holding the balloons. 

“Well that nickname’s not going away is it?” Emily grumbled.

“Nope!”

“He had one saying _‘babygirl’_ on it for Pen’s, I would count yourself lucky,” JJ added.

Tara and Spencer both wished her a happy birthday and she managed a smile and a thank you, tucking her hands into her pockets.

“So, do I want to know how you know today is my birthday, never mind where I live, since I never told you the exact address?” She looked pointedly at Penelope who was avoiding eye contact. 

“Hotch apologies but he couldn’t make it,” Penelope swerved, “Day out with the in-laws.”

“Penelope?” Emily repeated, this time more sternly. The woman eventually gave in.

“I only use my mystical powers in an emergency, and be glad that I checked, otherwise we’d have missed it.”

Emily chuckled. “Yeah, well, I’m used to spending this day at home with a good book, no skin off my nose.”

Penelope was outraged by this statement. “Well those days are over!” She swiftly grabbed Emily’s arm and linked it with her own. “Prepare to have the best birthday of your life.”

“Um, okay.” Emily glanced to JJ, a look of uneasiness and fear in her eyes. “What exactly am I in for?”

Penelope grinned. “We’re giving you a tour of New York.”

Emily’s brow rose. “The city where I live?”

Penelope snorted. “My dear Emily, don’t even try it. I know for a fact that despite living here twice in your life, you’ve never once taken in the sights. I won’t let it stand for another day.”

Emily nodded, knowing there was no point in arguing. Penelope then flung her arms out and started straight ahead down the already bustling street. “Onward!”

* * *

Their first stop was a place Emily had already become very familiar with in the past month. She felt a small sense of relief as Penelope halted outside of Central Perk. Still, she laughed. “Hey Penelope, you know the point of a tour is to take people places they haven’t been?”

Penelope rolled her eyes. “Well look who’s being judgmental about the standard of the tour she didn’t want. Don’t worry, we’re just here to pick up breakfast.”

She stepped through the entrance, the bell chiming as she did. Emily had to admit, it was becoming one of her favourite sounds. On entering, she was met with the same warmth and sweet scents she’d started to associate with the chime. The place was bustling despite the early hour and it being a Sunday. People were lazing on the couches, content to spend their day off with a cup of coffee and the cozy atmosphere. Emily couldn’t lie; this would be a favorable way for her to spend the day. Nevertheless, the group had other plans. 

“Ah, here they are!” Rossi greeted them with open arms from behind the counter. He produced a large brown paper bag and a tray of hot drinks. Clearly he’d been informed prior to their arrival. 

“Thank you Rossi,” Penelope thanked as she handed over some money to Jordan, one of the girls who worked there. Emily hadn’t had much interaction with her on her visits, but she was always quick to offer a smile. Today was no different, yet it seemed bigger than usual. Rossi matched it. 

“And how is the birthday girl?”

Emily cringed. “I feel like the term ‘birthday girl’ can’t be used for people over 30.”

Rossi laughed. “Would you prefer birthday woman?”

Emily almost recoiled. “This is precisely my point, birthdays shouldn’t be celebrated past a certain age. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Rossi waved her off. “Nonsense. And I make no comment on what you’re insinuating. Anyway, today is about you, and you’re in for a treat. Princess.” He winked. 

Almost as if on cue, Derek deposited the group of balloons behind the counter, so as not to be held up the rest of the day. Emily could only be thankful her real name wasn’t on them. She did perk up when she had her morning coffee handed to her, not having time for it in her haste to get ready. She looked to the large clock hanging above the door: 8.26. Yes, she’d definitely still be in bed for another hour at least on a normal Sunday.

She almost salivated when her own breakfast was handed to her – a large pain au raisin. The sweet scent was intoxicating and she couldn’t hold herself back from immediately digging in. When she took her first sip of black coffee she started to feel truly awake. 

“You want some of mine?” Penelope teased, offering the sickly sweet smelling latté. 

Emily shook her head adamantly. They said their goodbyes to Rossi and Jordan and set outside again. 

“We’ve got a lot of walking ahead of us but no fear, I have tunes!”

Emily raised an eyebrow as Penelope brought out a mini speaker that she clipped to her bright pink fanny pack. She fiddled about with her iPod, connecting it to the speaker. Soon Emily heard the opening drum beat to _Why Should I Worry?_ from Oliver & Company. She shook her head, laughing, while Penelope just grinned. She then led the way down the bustling street, singing along.

“So, where are you whisking me off to first?” Emily enquired, taking another small sip of coffee, wanting to savor the fuel. 

Penelope grinned. “A place only fitting for Emily Prentiss.”

After their last excursion to the youth centre, Emily had her doubts about places Penelope thought Emily would fit in. Even though it had ended up being a more enjoyable experience than expected, it still wasn’t exactly her. 

They continued walking for ten minutes or so, the group laughing particularly hard when Penelope gave a very enthusiastic performance of _Streets of Gold._ Thankfully she stuck to advice about what food carts were good and which gave you food poisoning, rather than actually stealing from any. 

As they turned a corner to find the grand structure that was the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Emily took back her reservations. In fact this had been one of the few places she’d wanted to visit in her time spent in New York, but as with everything, she just never found the time. It also felt a bit sad to go to tourist places on your own. Which, Emily usually always had been - but not today. 

She watched as Penelope led the way up the grand steps, Derek and Spencer following, racing up them like kids. Tara and JJ trailed behind, chatting away happily. Emily felt like she was on a school trip, which was nice. She’d never really gotten the chance to go on one growing up.

Once they reached the top Emily couldn’t help the groan at seeing the winding queue to the entrance; yeah, maybe this was why she’d never found the time to see the sights. But then Penelope was rummaging around in her bag - which was proving more and more to be like Mary Poppins’ – and produced a handful of gleaming tickets. She smiled as she handed them out to everyone. 

“Penelope?” Emily blinked down at her own.

“We all chipped in to buy them beforehand. You didn’t think we’d make you pay, did you?” she shook her head as if offended Emily thought any different. 

Emily opened and closed her mouth. “You paid for mine? All of you?”

Tara smirked. “Hey, what do you think being the birthday girl means?”

Emily fought down the blush that was threatening. She avoided looking at JJ for fear of making it worse.

“Besides, I got us a discount.” Penelope winked and Emily decided against asking questions, already sure she’d hacked into her personal university file. It was a good thing they didn’t have a hold of any real confidential information. It was also a good thing Hotch wasn’t there. She could imagine he wouldn’t approve.

Over the next hour, Emily took her time appreciating the fine pieces of art on display, feeling a true sense of calm. Her phone didn’t ring to tear her away from a peaceful moment, and nobody rushed her. She didn’t have to fake conversation with boring socialites. She was just a women walking through an art museum with her friends. She was sad when it was time to leave, but was promised there was better to come.

A fifteen-minute walk through a golden central park took them to the Natural History Museum. This was a place Emily _had_ been when she was a child, though the memories were no more than a blur. Spencer, of course, took up the mantle of tour guide, zapping from exhibit to exhibit. Listening to Spencer speak was like listening to a child excitedly ramble about something they’d just learned - except you didn’t have to pretend to be interested, because it was actually interesting. Which was why Emily was happy enough to let him continue. 

It was just past noon when her stomach began to rumble. That pain au raisin seemed very far away now. Her hunger didn’t go unnoticed, and everyone decided it was time for lunch. Expecting to just grab something at the museum café, Emily turned down a corridor, producing her purse from her bag – only to be grabbed by Penelope and swiveled towards the exit. Emily blinked. 

“We have other plans,” she explained. _Of course they did._

It was five minutes later that Emily found herself being promptly shoved into a rickshaw. _Well this really was new._ She was pushed in so quickly she was disorientated. She looked behind her to see Derek in one with Spencer (who looked absolutely thrilled at their method of transportation) and behind them Penelope beside Tara (whose expression was masked behind her sunglasses). Which left her with… She looked beside her to see JJ smiling at her, a spark of mischievousness. 

“Having fun?”

Emily had flashbacks to freezing at an ice-hockey game. 

“This is still a free outing for me right?”

JJ nodded. 

“Well then I shall hold my tongue.”

JJ smirked when the rickshaw suddenly set off at a faster pace than expected and Emily grabbed onto the side. But JJ’s smirk lessened when Emily tensed further as cars raced past them, and jumped at the sound of a car exhaust going off from behind. Emily jumped again when she felt an unexpected warmth. She looked down to find JJ’s hand in hers, squeezing assuredly. Emily blushed, but smiled still, and held onto her hand tight for the rest of the ride.

Their destination for lunch ended up being the Hard rock café. Which was Tara’s choice. She admitted it wasn’t the kind of place she’d usually vacate, but Penelope had asked for tourist places, and she liked the music. Emily couldn’t say the same, but she, as promised, held her tongue. She had to admit their burgers were good. But really, she was so hungry that she’d probably have eaten anything. Their in house entertainment came in the form of JJ and Tara singing along to Living On A Prayer when it sounded through the speakers.

Emily didn’t think she’d be so glad of a taxi ride, but that was what she felt on hearing they wouldn’t be waking to their next destination. However, they seemed to have come to a standstill when the taxi dropped them off at the harbor. A plethora of people waited in the queue for the ferry to Liberty Island. The wait would have been excruciating if it weren’t for the street performers keeping them entertained. Emily was enjoying the steel drums in particular until Derek called over that it was her birthday and she ended up getting her own personal serenade. 

Emily, yet again, wished she’d had the hindsight to bring a scarf when they finally boarded the ferry. It was so much colder with the wind, blowing her hair all over her face in what she was sure was not a good look. She was also sure her nose was bright red. She also wished that she still had that coffee from that morning. 

She felt someone beside her and broke out of her chilly haze. Penelope and JJ were there, bickering over the music choices as Penelope had her speaker out again. Eventually she gave in, handing the speaker and iPod over to her. JJ shot a smile in Emily’s direction before the opening guitar notes of _Everybody Wants To Rule The World_ became apparent. Emily smiled back. Penelope looked between them, her own smile not easily hidden. Emily didn’t get seasick but there was an unmistakable lurch in her stomach when JJ smiled at her.

After a tour of the statue of liberty and a trip back on the ferry, they headed to their final tourist attraction of the day. Emily had presumed it to be the Empire State Building, because of course, right? But no, they were heading to Rockefeller.

“It has the best view,” Penelope explained as she resigned herself to standing in what must have been their longest line of the day. No shortcuts here. 

When they got to the elevator Emily instantly clocked Derek’s tension. He seemed to be holding onto the walls. This suspicion was confirmed when they finally reached the top, and the elevator doors pinged open. Not too far away was the sight they’d be waiting for; Emily could see the stretch of buildings, toy-like from here. Derek was hesitant to move forward. 

When they finally reached the front of the queue and stepped out onto the viewing platform, Emily let out a small breath. It was stunning. Especially given the time; the iconic view of the New York skyline, with the Empire State building standing tall in the middle, all shone with the golden glow of sunset. She didn’t even care that it was freezing. 

“It doesn’t get old.”

Emily looked up to see JJ standing beside her, her own eyes fixated on the sight in front of them. Emily smiled. She took a moment to revel in the peace of it. She then caught a glimpse of Derek off to the side, not willing to come closer to the edge. 

“You doing okay?” she asked, eyebrow raised.

“I’m fine, it’s just a bit chilly.”

Penelope patted his arm. “It’s okay, I’ll protect you.”

 _So Derek Morgan was afraid of heights? Who knew?_

Emily then heard JJ rummaging for something in her purse. Almost expecting her to produce anti-nausea tablets for Derek, Emily was surprised to see her holding up a camera. It was a Polaroid one, the kind that was all the rage when they were teenagers. Emily almost said that ‘vintage is becoming our thing’ but stopped herself. Instead she gave a small nod of her head when JJ gestured for her to stand for a photo. She tried to give her best smile but it still felt awkward. The picture was snapped and she moved to get out the way. But then Spencer appeared. 

“I can take one of both of you?” 

JJ beamed and handed him the camera, moving to stand by Emily’s side. The rush of heat when JJ slid her arm around her waist was almost overwhelming. Emily suddenly sympathized with Derek. 

“Say cheese!” Spencer instructed. 

Never in her life had Emily complied when hearing those words. But she couldn’t help the smile that stretched out when hearing JJ’s laugh. The picture was taken and Emily felt disappointment as JJ left her side, along with the warmth. Spencer collected the picture when it appeared a minute later, shaking it out. JJ thanked him as she took it, holding the edges carefully. Another smile crept on her face. She handed it to Emily. 

“You can keep it.”

“Thank you,” Emily replied, still trying to feel the ground beneath her feet. 

She looked down at the photo, bracing herself for the awkward smile she was sure to be sporting. But there wasn’t one. No, for the first time in her life Emily saw herself in a photo smiling like… well, like someone who was happy. With as much care as she could muster, she pocketed the picture, feeling a new sense of ease having it with her. 

“Hey you kids want a picture together?”

An elderly woman approached them, pointing to the camera. She was decked out in what had to be souvenirs from every tourist attraction in New York. Her husband behind her was carrying about 6 bags. Penelope jumped in.

“That would be amazing, thank you!”

She ushered everyone into position, including Derek, who had to be dragged into shot. Emily was shoved next to JJ again near the front, which she wasn’t going to complain about. She mustered the courage to put her arm around her too. She could feel JJ smile next to her. 

“Smile!” the woman cheered.

And Emily did. 

* * *

If you told Emily Prentiss that she’d be spending her 35th birthday curled up under a mountain of blankets, watching Disney films with her new friends, she would have probably given you the finger. But that was exactly the position she found herself in that evening. 

They’d all been glad to arrive home, tired from the events of the day. Tara wished them well, taking a taxi home. Spencer and Derek had also wished them good night, retreating to their own apartment across the hall. Which left Emily with JJ and Penelope. She insisted that they’d already given her more than enough of a celebration, and surely they wanted to call it a night. But Penelope wouldn’t have it. 

Penelope had clearly had this planned. Pizza was ordered and Emily gave a disbelieving laugh as Oliver & Company displayed on the TV screen. She hadn’t actually sat down and watched it for years, it was nice. She’d certainly never watched it with anyone else before. But the embarrassment faded away quickly, and she even found herself quietly singing along with Penelope and JJ. This morning had clearly been a warm up. After the film had ended, and Emily got herself ready to leave, she was dragged back down. Penelope fetched them a tub of ice cream to share while JJ lined up another film- another Disney one. But it wasn’t one Emily was familiar with.

“Lilo &…. Stitch?” She screwed her face up at the screen.

“You’ll love it,” Penelope promised.

Emily nodded slowly, settling herself back into the couch. Emily hadn’t been convinced to start, but an hour and a half later she found herself trying to hide her tears. _Damn that little alien and his found family._

“You okay there?” JJ asked. 

“Yeah just… it’s dusty in here.”

JJ laughed lightly. “I’m sorry to make you cry on your birthday. I thought out of all of the other Disney films you’d like this the most.”

Emily sat up straighter, wiping at her eyes. “You picked it?”

“I did. Did I get it right?”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Well clearly you can see evidence of that.”

JJ looked over her shoulder quickly. Penelope had excused herself to her room to change into her pj’s. Satisfied that they were still alone, JJ turned back around and reached for a bag under the couch. Emily frowned as she had it placed in front of her. 

“Happy birthday,” JJ said simply.

Emily opened and closed her mouth, at a loss for words. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten a birthday present. 

“JJ, you really didn’t have to, you all already paid for everything today, I - ”

JJ just pushed the bag closer. “Please, open it before Pen comes back, she’d kill me if she knew I got you something when we decided just to make today your present.”

Seeing the imploring look in JJ’s eyes, Emily didn’t waste any time and reached into the bag that was decorated with purple tissue paper. She felt something soft and familiar. She pulled it out, and her mouth fell open again. It was the same scarf that JJ had lent her at the hockey game, the same size and texture, except it was red not blue. 

“I almost wish I’d had it to give you today on the ferry,” JJ teased. 

Emily just shook her head; still not believing today had been real. She looked up to meet her eyes. “JJ, this is perfect, thank you.” 

JJ nodded with a smile. “You’re very welcome.”

Suddenly the lights cut and Emily reacted on instinct, unraveling into a panic. She felt JJ’s hand over hers for the second time that day and her heart rate slowed. Usually she had the opposite effect, but in this case it was welcome. 

“Happy birthday to you!”

Penelope’s voice rang through the dark and soon she appeared beside them, face lit up by soft candlelight; it’s source being one solitary candle on top of a small cupcake. 

“Come on, blow it out and make a wish!” 

Emily took a moment to think. She looked at Penelope’s wide grin, and then to JJ’s small smile that filled her with such warmth. She thought back to all the events of the day, of how they’d all put so much effort into making it a perfect birthday. She thought of how many years had passed with no celebrations at all, with nobody to celebrate with. 

Emily thought, but for once she didn’t have anything to wish for. She realised she had everything she wanted right here, more than she thought she’d ever have. She closed her eyes and blew the candle out. As they were descended into darkness again, she felt JJ’s hand still placed over hers. 

She wished for this to never end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Otherwise known as the impossibly self indulgent chapter. This took a long time, but I hope I did Emily's first proper birthday justice. My favourite thing from this chapter is the image of Penelope singing Streets of Gold to Emily. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend.
> 
> songs:
> 
> Why Should I Worry? - Oliver & Company soundtrack  
> Streets of Gold - Oliver & Company soundtrack  
> Living On A Prayer - Bon Jovi  
> Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears


	11. the one where charlie's angels rescue wonder woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A quiet Halloween watching horror films takes a turn for Emily, JJ and Penelope, who find themselves on a rescue mission instead.

Penelope peeked out from under her blanket, checking to see if it was safe. When she saw a man brandishing a knife she decided it wasn’t and threw the blanket back over her head. 

“Come on, this isn’t even a bad one,” Emily laughed from her place next to her. She just saw the blanket shake from side to side as Penelope conveyed her disagreement. 

“Halloween is much more fun when we have Doctor Who marathons,” came the muffled response.

Emily then grimaced and turned to Spencer who was sat on one of armchairs. His eyes were fixed to the screen. 

“I’m sorry,” Emily apologised, “I didn’t mean to intrude on your night.”

Spencer blinked, suddenly aware someone was speaking to him and tore his eyes away from the screen. “Oh, it’s no problem. Sure, I like our Who nights, but this is fun too. I like horror, it activates your fight or flight, I find it invigorating.”

“Well I’m flying to the kitchen,” Derek announced, pulling himself out of his own seat, “Anyone want anything?”

JJ leaned back over the couch on the other side of Blanket Penelope, handing him the empty bowl of popcorn. “Besides,” JJ interjected, “We all agreed a change would be nice, and Emily is our guest. Guests pick the movie, those are the rules.”

There was a huff from beneath the blanket. 

“If guests pick the movie how come we never get to pick?” Derek called from the kitchen. 

JJ snorted. “You’re not guests, you practically live here. Speaking of, who drank the last of our milk?”

“Touché,” Spencer said.

It wasn’t long before the film drew to its bloody end and Penelope all but threw the blanket off to switch on the lights. 

“Sorry again,” Emily said to JJ, who she could now see clearly with no space between them.

She waved her off. “No apologies necessary.”

Emily lifted an eyebrow. “You liked it?”

JJ shook her head. “Oh no, it was awful, but as I said, the guest picks the movie.”

Emily laughed as she lifted her drink. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“You have a wide range of film genre, I’ll give you that.”

Emily shrugged. “I don’t know, they remind me of when I first went off to university, back when everything seemed so….” She waved her hand in front of her “Ahead of me.”

JJ threw a pillow at her, laughing. “Hey, you still have a lot ahead of you. Don’t forget I’m only a year younger than you.”

Spencer dived in. “The vast majority of people say they don’t feel like they’re living the live they want until their 40’s. There’s even a concert pianist who didn’t start playing until she was 70.”

JJ threw another pillow at him, this time harder. “You’re too young to weigh in on this conversation.”

Penelope’s phone rang, _Walking Like Sunshine_ breezing through the apartment. Everyone frowned. 

“Who’s calling at - ” Emily checked her watch – “11.25pm on Halloween night?”

“Someone inviting us to a party hopefully,” Penelope answered with a sigh. She flipped the phone open, greeting her caller in her ever-chipper manner. “Your friendly neighborhood oracle of all things knowable and unknowable, how may I be of service?” 

Her face fell as she let the other person speak. “Okay, okay, just give me a second.” She excused herself to the others and rushed past the couch and into her room, slamming the door shut as she went. 

“Wonder what that was about,” Emily mused. 

“With our babygirl, there really is no telling,” Derek answered, setting his feet up on the coffee table. 

A minute passed before Penelope’s bedroom door creaked open and she poked her head out. She put on a smile but Emily could tell it was fake. She sensed the others would be able to tell too. Not moving from the door, Penelope looked over to the table, seeing the empty bowls that were previously overflowing with snacks. She snapped her head up. 

“Derek, we’re out of snacks,” she said, as if everyone didn’t already deduce this.

Derek shrugged. “And?”

“Go get us some more.” She swiftly pulled out a handful of notes from her back pocket, offering it to him.

Derek stared at her. “It’s nearly midnight, you want more snacks?”

Penelope flicked through the notes, acting like she hadn’t heard him. “That should be enough money, I think. You know what I like.” She shot a dazzling smile. Emily choked on her drink.

“Whatever your heart desires,” Derek replied with a non-committal bow. He took the money from her outstretched hand and grabbed his jacket. 

“And get some milk!” JJ called, which was answered by a slam of the front door.

Emily let out a breath. “Wow, you’ve got him well trained.”

But Penelope wasn’t in the mood for banter, which instantly had the others worried. 

“Pen, what’s wrong?” JJ asked, straightening up.

Penelope’s eyes darted between them all, settling for a moment longer on Spencer. She coughed. “JJ, can I see you for a moment?”

JJ raised an eyebrow. “Uh, sure.”

She looked to Emily and Spencer, who were equally confused, before rising to her feet and joining Penelope in her room. The door slammed shut behind them. 

Spencer looked to Emily. “I hope everything’s okay.”

Emily nodded slowly, eyes narrowed on the door. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

* * *

“Oh, we’re really in the shitter,” Penelope relayed as JJ shut the door behind them. 

“Pen? What’s going on?” She was really getting worried. What could be so wrong that Penelope would send Derek away? And further, want to speak to JJ in private? 

“Pen, are you feeling okay?” 

Penelope fell onto her bed, running her hands through pink streaked hair. She took a moment to close her eyes, trying to calm herself down, before opening them again and meeting JJ’s worried gaze.

“It’s Kayla.”

JJ’s stomach turned. “What’s wrong, is she okay?”

Penelope bit her lip. “She might be lost somewhere in the city, alone, and by the sounds of it rather intoxicated.”

JJ fell onto the bed next to her, heart racing. “How did this happen? I didn’t even think she was planning on going out tonight?”

Penelope closed her eyes again. “She wasn’t but someone might have encouraged her to let off some steam.”

JJ turned her head to look at her friend. “Pen,” she said sternly.

Penelope bit her lip again. “And that person may have also given her a fake ID.”

“Garcia!” 

JJ shot up along with Penelope. “Shhh! I don’t want Spencer to hear!”

“Well, we can’t keep this to ourselves! Derek needs to know!” 

Penelope shook her head adamantly. “Oh no he doesn’t. That’s the last thing Kayla needs, he’ll probably make her move in with them. Living her college years out with her uncle and Dr. Reid? She’ll be traumatised.”

JJ sighed, head falling into her hands. “Spencer will tell Derek,” she said through her hands.

“Yeah we can’t trust him to keep this secret.”

JJ rolled her head back, already feeling a throb at her temples. “Okay, so we need to get rid of him. And it won’t be long before Derek is back.”

Penelope cringed. “Yeah I wasn’t really thinking long term, I just needed to get him out of the apartment right away, I was too stressed.”

“Okay, just stay here.” JJ stood up and walked to the door, creaking it open. She was met by the sight of a very anxious looking Spencer and Emily. 

“Pen isn’t feeling too great, I think we should call it a night.”

“Is she okay?” Spencer asked.

“Yeah just…” JJ racked her brain. “Bad period.”

“I can get her painkillers,” Spencer instantly offered. JJ should have known Spencer wouldn’t have been deterred by that excuse. It was the lack of alpha male in him. 

JJ smiled softly despite the situation. “That’s okay Spence, we have enough. I think she really just needs some rest. I can hold the fort here.”

After a few seconds of consideration, Spencer nodded and started to collect his things. 

“Oh, and can you call Derek?” JJ added, “Tell him it’s okay, just one of those rough ones!”

Spencer nodded, though there was still suspicion in his eyes as he lifted his coat. He held the door open for Emily who was right behind him. “I hope she feels better soon,” she said. JJ smiled tightly.

The door was closed and she let out a breath. “Okay, they’re gone, can we hurry up?”

She ushered Penelope out the door and raced around the apartment, collecting her coat and purse and keys. She still had adrenaline racing through her veins when she threw open the door to collide right into Emily. 

“Oh, I’m sorry!” 

JJ stumbled back, shaking her head. “It’s okay, what’s wrong?” The words came out sharp. The last thing she wanted to do was be short with Emily, but she was desperate to get to Kayla. 

Emily eyed her carefully. “I forgot my scarf.” 

She pointed towards the red scarf lying over the back of the couch. JJ deflated, smiling at the scarf that she’d gifted her. She hadn’t seen Emily without it a single day since. She went to collect it for her, sneakers all but sliding over the wooden floor in her haste. 

Emily raised an eyebrow at her attire. “You going for a run?”

JJ looked down at herself. She’d haphazardly thrown on the first thing she saw which happened to be her running gear. She really hoped no running would be necessary. “Oh, no, I just – have to go get Pen some things.”

“Well I can get them if that would help?” 

JJ smiled. Her friends really were the best. “It’s okay, honestly, she’s sleeping now anyway.”

“I’ve already faced the cold, you’re all cozy in here, really it’s no bother.”

“That’s kind of you, but – ”

“Oh, drop it!” Penelope came racing out from her bedroom, clumsily pulling on a pair of heels. JJ really hoped they wouldn’t need to do any running.

“We can trust Emily not to spill,” Penelope rushed out, “Plus we could use an extra hand.”

Emily looked between the two of them, even more concerned than before. “I take it Penelope isn’t suffering from menstrual cramps then?”

“No, Penelope is not. Come on, we’ll fill you in on the way.”

* * *

“I can’t believe you tracked her phone,” JJ’s hushed voice was incredulous. 

“I told you I only use my powers in an emergency, and this is an emergency! Oh, take a right here please!”

JJ ran her hands through her hair and fell back into her seat. The three of them were crammed into the back of a taxi, Penelope in the middle with her phone out, tracking Kayla’s movements. This was not how Emily envisioned her night going. As she was rushed out of the apartment and down the stairs she’d asked what she suspected was a stupid question: why can’t Kayla call a taxi herself? But of course the answer to that was that she’d lost her purse. And her phone was low on battery so their time to find her really was running out. 

Emily looked out the window as the cab took a sharp turn. The streets were swarming with people dressed up in all manners of costume, from devils to witches to cartoon characters. New York at night was always something of a spectacle, but this was like stepping into another dimension. 

“What’s she dressed as?” she asked as the thought came to her. It sounded like a trivial question but really it could help them spot her quicker. 

“Wonder Woman,” JJ answered. 

Emily smiled softly. “A good choice.”

“Was little Emily a fan?” JJ asked, voice picking up a little. Emily knew it was only conversation for distraction, but she continued, wanting to stop her from spiraling. 

“Not particularly. I never really dressed up for Halloween.”

“What about trick or treating?!” Penelope had suddenly dived into the conversation, finding this new information horrific.

Emily shrugged. “I never went, parents were too busy, I moved around a lot, lots of factors.”

They’d had their own fair share of kids come to the door earlier in the night. She thought then of how relieved she was to be invited to their apartment, not having been at all equipped for streams of kids wanting candy.

Penelope shook her head, looking even more distressed than before. “That’s not right, we should have taken you out tonight.”

Emily cocked an eyebrow. “Trick or treating? A group of 35 year olds? We’d get arrested.”

Penelope grumbled. “Well you deserve some kind of retribution.”

“Tonight was perfect, really,” Emily insisted. 

They fell back into silence, tension clinging to the air. 

“Take a left here,” Penelope instructed the driver who nodded his head as he turned the wheel.

* * *

They stopped outside an overcrowded bar on Penelope’s instruction. She all but threw the money at the taxi driver in her haste to get out. The place was overflowing with people, congregated outside despite the cold, the queue at the door morphing into a lively crowd. Finding Kayla amongst all this would be like finding a needle in a haystack. Penelope craned her neck, trying to see inside the building. It was wall to wall with people, not seeming to be any space between one to the next. Penelope huffed.

“We wouldn’t even be looking in packed bars if you hadn’t given her a fake ID,” JJ bit out. Emily could sense she was holding back for the sake of finding Kayla. 

Penelope had the sense not to argue. “Okay, we’ll just fight our way in, and I’ll try to get a more precise location inside. She’s somewhere in there.”

And so Penelope, with more conviction Emily had ever seen, fought her way through the crowd, pushing men twice her size out of her way. “Protective aunt coming through, excuse me!”

Emily and JJ just looked at each other and followed through the path that was cleared. It was odd to be the ones out of place when they were dressed normally. Although, Penelope had insisted on wearing a pair of cat ears while they watched scary movies. She was certainly adopting the role of a protective lioness on the hunt after her lost cub, and anyone who got in her way was in for a slaughtering. Any reservations they’d had about not calling Derek for backup were well and truly put to rest.

The bar was packed, the walls shaking with thumping bass and the haunting voice of Annie Lenox. JJ looked to Emily. 

“Halloween music really is your genre isn’t it?”

Emily waved her off and followed the path Penelope continued to make for them, weaving through dancing bodies. Everyone seemed to have a drink in their hand, and Emily narrowly avoided getting covered in a vampire’s vodka and coke. They were eventually led to the bar, where one very distressed woman was trying her best to take everyone’s orders, which seemed to be never ending. 

“It says she’s here?” JJ asked, scanning the area but seeing no sign of any wonder women. 

Penelope darted her head between her phone and the bar, brow furrowing. “That’s what it says. Hold on, I’ll call her.”

Not certain she was in a fit state to answer, they all waited anxiously as Penelope held the phone to her ear. It was also unlikely she’d be able to hear anything over the crowd and music. Nevertheless, Penelope’s face lit up as she caught the sound of Kayla’s ringtone. 

“Over here!” she shouted, fumbling behind the bar as fast as she could, pushing customers away.

But even past the crowd, there was no sign of Kayla. “Kayla?!” Penelope called, ducking her head underneath the bar as if she’d find her hiding out there. 

Emily took a moment to block out the background noise, the overwhelming bass and chatter of partygoers. She snapped her eyes open and swerved around. It was coming from under the bar, but in a drawer. “Over here!” she called.

“Hey, you guys can’t be back here!” the bartender shouted, just noticing the intruders amongst all the havoc. 

“I’m sorry,” JJ apologised, while crouching down next to the drawer Emily had indicated, “We’re looking for our niece, we think her phone’s in here?”

The bartender’s hostile expression faded away, shoulders dropping. “Oh,” she let out in a breath. “Yeah, I found a phone on the floor not too long ago, she must have dropped it.”

She crouched down to the drawer, producing a key from her belt, but paused before opening it. She looked up to the three women. “What’s it look like?”

“What?” Penelope asked, puzzled and getting more anxious by the second.

“The phone,” the bartender elaborated, “I can’t give it to you unless I know you really know her.”

“It’s a silver slide phone with purple along the sides and a yellow K on the back and a basketball sticker,” JJ said in one breath. 

The bartender raised an eyebrow. “That will suffice.”

She opened the drawer and took out the phone, exactly as described, and handed it to JJ. “You guys seem trustworthy, it’s just policy to check.”

JJ nodded. “Completely understand, thanks for picking it up.”

“No problem.” The bartender turned around to start cleaning some glasses. It appeared there was no moment to rest on Halloween night in a bar. 

“You didn’t see her here then?” Penelope asked, hope evident in her voice. “She was dressed as wonder woman.”

The bartender set down a glass and furrowed her brow, thinking. “There’s been a few of those in here tonight,” she mused. She turned back to face the room, regarding the crowd.

“How old is she?”

Penelope looked sheepish, knowing she wasn’t really old enough to be in this place. 

“She’s just in her first year at NYU,” JJ answered, not answering the question fully. But the bartender eyed her suspiciously, knowing fine well she wouldn’t have been old enough. She sighed, not having the energy to protest every underage drinker she came across in her work. 

“I think I saw her leave about 10 minutes ago.”

Penelope let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank you, was she with anyone?”

The bartender tilted her head. “Batman.”

Penelope gasped. Emily took a step forward as JJ tried to calm her down. “Are you sure it was a man?” 

The bartender shrugged. “They were just as tall as her.”

“Kayla’s tall,” JJ supplied.

Emily nodded, thanking the bartender who clearly didn’t have anything more helpful to tell them. They hastily made their way back out the bar. They all took a breath when they stepped back out into the cool night air. JJ looked down at the phone in her hands, brushing her thumb over the bold K. She snapped out of it when Emily spoke.

“We can try back at her dorm?”

Penelope just nodded along with JJ. 

The taxi ride felt longer than it was. 5 minutes later they were stepping outside the complex of dorms on NYU campus, which seemed ever more teeming with people. Thankfully they were able to get inside past security with their credentials. Music was blaring from speakers laid out on the grass. Emily recognised it as something Penelope had previously pointed out would also be her ‘jam.’ JJ’s statement at the bar wasn’t being disproven. 

Penelope led them down towards Kayla’s building, which was one of the smaller ones on campus. A group of girls stood outside smoking. Their eyes widened when they noticed the three women appear around a corner and they all dropped their joints at once, kicking them out the way. It was useless; there was no hiding that smell. JJ promised not to say anything if they let them inside. They were through the door in 2 seconds. 

“This is way nicer than my halls were,” Emily observed as they navigated through winding corridors.

“Really,” JJ raised an eyebrow. “Columbia not up to Emily Prentiss’s standards?”

Emily shook her head with a laugh. “The university was fine. But I think all accomodations was pretty dire back then, what about you?”

JJ shrugged. “Pittsburgh could have been better, not the worst. I only found a mouse once.”

Emily laughed. “Not entirely the pits then?”

JJ shook her head. “Mostly I was just so relieved to be away from home, like coming up for air.”

Emily nodded. “Yeah I can relate to that.”

Emily and JJ came to a grinding halt, bumping into Penelope who had stopped in her tracks. 

“Pen?”

“Batman at 12 o’clock, batman at 12 o’clock!”

She pointed straight ahead. At the end of the corridor was unmistakably a tall college student in a batman costume. He looked older than a freshman, maybe even a senior. He was sauntering down the hall without a care in the world, an air of smugness about him.

“That’s Kayla’s room,” JJ uttered, pointing to the door he was just passing. 

Emily snapped. JJ and Penelope didn’t have time to react before she went racing forward, making a beeline down the corridor, eyes set on her target. The boy also didn’t have time to react before he was slammed into the wall.

“What the hell?!” he coughed as an arm was pushed against his neck.

“Where’s Kayla?” Emily spat out.

“What?? I don’t know - ”

“Cut it out smartass!” Emily shouted. She was seeing red. “Kayla Brooke!” Emily repeated when the boy continued to splutter.

It was at that moment, just as the boy looked not far from passing out, that the door beside them opened. The boy took his chance and scrambled to his feet before racing down the corridor. Emily called after him but was stopped by a familiar voice.

“Professor Prentiss?”

All three women snapped their heads up. Standing in the doorway was a tall girl with a blonde pixie cut, dressed in a full batman costume - or rather, batwoman. 

“Who are you?” Penelope demanded, taking a step forward.

The girl blinked. “Natasha Chen, who are you?”

But the voice hadn’t come from her. Further in the room, Kayla sat on her bed in her full Wonder Woman costume. She looked groggy but her eyes widened at the display in front of her: her two surrogate aunts - Penelope holding her phone out, and JJ kitted out in her running gear - and her French Professor who had just had a boy up against the wall. 

“We’re here to rescue you,” Penelope explained.

“You guys are like Charlie’s Angels,” Kayla laughed. 

The three women just grumbled. 

* * *

“You’re sure you’re okay?” JJ pressed, handing Kayla another glass of water.

Kayla groaned. “I’ll be fine now, thank you, there’s no need for you all to stay really.”

JJ nodded but she didn’t look convinced. Penelope was sat on the other side of her on the bed, a hand rubbing her back. “We’re just so glad you’re okay.”

Kayla nodded, looking embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have called you, I’m sorry.”

“Nonsense! You can call us anytime.”

Kayla had a small smile. However she was still very aware of her professor standing awkwardly in the corner. This wasn’t how she saw her Halloween night unfolding. 

“Here you go.” Batwoman, who they now knew to be Natasha, handed Kayla a paracetamol. 

“Thank you,” she replied in a small voice, still embarrassed by the whole ordeal. 

Natasha just smiled and returned to the bathroom. They didn’t need to ask to know there was cleaning required; the smell gave it away. Kayla just groaned more. 

The women had been ready to help in any way needed once they stumbled into the room, but they were surprised to find Natasha already had everything handled. Kayla had hesitantly explained how she’d lost track of her friends at the bar, and Natasha - a first year art student who’d found her sulking outside - had offered to help her back home. They were relieved that Kayla had had someone to look after her, but in all honestly they felt a bit useless after their escapades, only to find they weren’t needed. However they were all very glad that they hadn’t involved Derek. Kayla seemed embarrassed enough to have them there, never mind her uncle. 

“Oh, I almost forgot, we found your phone,” JJ brought it out from her jacket pocket, handing it to Kayla. “I’ve asked them to look for your purse too.”

“Oh god, I didn’t even notice,” Kayla grimaced. 

JJ just smiled. “I’m just glad you’re okay,” she reiterated. 

“I can’t believe your teammates ditched you,” Penelope said with malice, “I have every right to - ”

“Please don’t,” Kayla begged, “It was my fault I - ” But she caught herself before continuing and took another sip of water. 

They decided not to interrogate her further. In fact, they all decided that what Kayla really needed now was rest. And so, after making sure one final time that she had everything she needed, they left her in Natasha’s capable hands.

JJ let out a great breath as they sat themselves down on a bench outside. “God, I’m glad my college days are behind me.”

Emily laughed. “Party girl huh?”

JJ screwed her face up. “I wouldn’t say that but I certainly had my fair share of bad nights.”

Emily nodded, seeing the distant look in JJ’s eyes. She was toying with the necklace beneath her shirt: a gold chain with a love heart pendant. Emily never saw her without it. 

“I guess I had a lot of things I wanted to try to forget,” JJ admitted despondently, “wash away with alcohol, because that works right?” She gave a hollow laugh.

Emily’s heart ached and before she knew what she was doing she was reaching out for JJ’s hand. JJ jolted in surprise but smiled in return, a silent thank you. She took another deep breath. “So what about you? Was Emily Prentiss a party girl?”

Emily laughed. “I was very much what you’d call a lone wolf. Horror movies on a Friday night were the most excitement I got.”

JJ made an open gesture with her hands. “Well now you can say you’ve had a real college experience.”

Emily chortled. “I guess I can. I’d rather not repeat it though.”

“Agreed.”

Penelope soon rejoined them, having picked them up some coffee as a reward for their valiant effort at a rescue mission. She wouldn’t stop staring at Emily as she took a sip of hers.

“What?” she asked dumbly.

Penelope had a glint in her eye. “So you’re like a total bad-ass huh?”

Emily’s cheeks flushed. “I wouldn’t say that.”

Penelope just smirked. “The way you threw that guy up against the wall all Xena Warrior Princess style?? That was hot.”

Emily nearly choked on her coffee. 

Penelope turned towards a path leading to more dorm buildings. “Hey, I think Kayla’s teammates stay down here, maybe you could pay them a visit?”

JJ slapped her on the arm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It sounds like a cliche but every chapter really does get more fun to write. Kayla is the luckiest niece in the world. I didn't have them dressing up here because 1) I didn't think Emily would be convinced to after only knowing them for 2 months and 2) I already wrote it in my Halloween one-shot, so check that out if you like!
> 
> songs:
> 
> walking on sunshine - Katrina & the waves  
> sweet dreams (are made of this) - eurythmics  
> bring me to life - evanescence (emily would absolutely be a fan)


	12. the one where emily adopts a child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally the introduction of the character we've all been waiting for....

JJ gasped as paint splattered over her pale blue dungarees. Derek smirked and JJ retaliated, flicking a glob of orange onto his face. He grimaced but was quick to dive into action, attacking JJ again, this time aiming for her face. Laughter echoed off half-painted walls, mixing with the music playing from the stereo: _Working For The Weekend_ \- it had been JJ’s choice, and was very fitting for their current position; they’d all volunteered to help paint the new conference room at the youth centre, although not much work was getting done at that current moment. 

They halted their duel when they heard footsteps behind them. Emily was standing in the doorway holding the bucket of extra paint she’d gone to fetch. Her eyes glanced down, regarding her friends’ paint covered attire. She gave one slow shake of her head. “Don’t you dare.”

But Derek was already snapping his wrist back, sending a dollop of blue paint over her face. It landed right on her nose, dripping down to her lip. JJ put a hand to her mouth, trying to stifle the laughter. Emily slowly opened her eyes and shot Derek a look that JJ was glad she wasn’t on the receiving end of. But Derek didn’t seem bothered.

“Hey, princess, why so blue?” he teased.

Snapping, Emily made towards him, lifting the large bucket of paint as she went. Derek jumped back, almost colliding with the still wet wall behind him. Just as Emily was getting ready to drench him in orange paint, Matt stepped into the room.

“Hey, that costs money!” he called, rushing to stop the attack. Emily relented and dropped the bucket by her feet, still glaring at Derek. 

“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” she warned. Derek had the sense to look worried. 

A loud bark broke through the tension. Derek’s shoulders dropped in relief. The four of them made their way through to the longue to find the source of the havoc. Hotch was standing by the fridge, hand held out and trying to converse with a very joyful looking golden retriever. The sight of him in jeans was odd enough.

“Sit,” he commanded sternly. 

The dog barked in response, tail wagging rapidly.

“Sit,” Hotch repeated, louder. 

The dog did a twirl, and barked again, pleased with their performance. Hotch looked up at the sound of the others entering. 

“Your dog doesn’t obey commands,” Hotch said to Matt, exasperated.

Matt chuckled, hands on his hips. “You’re standing next to the fridge, I’d start out in more neutral territory if you want her to listen to you.”

Hotch sighed. “I just wanted a sandwich.”

Matt relented and approached the smiling retriever. “Bonnie,” he said, voice low and calm. Bonnie’s head snapped up at the sound. Her smile seemed to grow even more.

“Sit,” Matt commanded. She promptly plopped herself down onto the ground.

“Down,” Matt continued. She laid down flat on the ground. 

“Play dead.” She did just that, flopping over onto her back with her tongue hanging out.

“Good girl!” Matt praised and collected some ham from the fridge to reward her with.

“Well that’s just showing off,” Hotch grumbled.

“They’re just used to me is all,” Matt explained, giving her a pat.

“It also helps that he always smells of meat,” Kate called as she made her way in from the back door. Another golden retriever came bounding past her, all but colliding into his friend.

“Hey Clyde, what have you been up to?”

“Trying to join in on the game,” Kate supplied, throwing him a torn up football. 

Matt grimaced. Clyde just smiled up at him.

“Oh you can’t be mad at that face,” Derek jumped in. 

He crouched down and opened up his arms. Clyde went running right into them. 

“Look at that face!” Derek said, squishing his face next to Clyde’s and matching his pout. 

Kate shook her head, laughing. “Well Clyde can pay for a new football.”

Matt sighed and took out his wallet from his back pocket. “I swear it costs me a fortune whenever Kristy has a conference and I’m left with you here all weekend.”

Clyde just smiled, as if agreeing. Bonnie them came bounding up to him and Derek, giving him a big lick on the face. 

Emily screwed up her face. “If only your many conquests could see where that face has been.”

Derek didn’t seem to hear her, rolling onto his back with the dogs tumbling on top of him.

“You’re welcome to take them for the weekend,” Matt offered. 

“Oh you wouldn’t get them back.”

Matt had adopting both dogs from a shelter a little under a year ago. It wasn’t common to find dogs like golden retrievers there, but they’d arrived in pretty bad shape. The shelter could only guess that their owners had been overwhelmed by their hyperactive nature. You found that quite a lot in the city; people being shocked by how much looking after a dog really needed, and not being able to give them that with their schedules. Matt had only been at the shelter in passing, not expecting to come back with one dog, never mind two. But seeing them, you’d think they’d been together for years. 

“My friend said the shelter’s gotten pretty overcrowded in the past few months,” Matt told them, handing Kate the money, “They’re gonna run out of room come winter.”

JJ could have sworn she saw Derek’s ears perk up.

* * *

It really shouldn’t have been a surprise, when they found themselves joining Derek and Spencer at the animal shelter a week later. Spencer hadn’t taken much convincing; he was also enamored with Bonnie and Clyde. 

“This is so exciting!” Penelope squealed as they made their way down the street towards the shelter.

JJ laughed. “Yeah it also helps that you’re not the one who’s gonna be looking after it huh?”

But Penelope didn’t rise to it. “I’ll be the best dog aunt they could ask for. Treats and cuddles galore. Oh we can get them a jacket!” 

Matt had let his friend at the shelter know that they were coming beforehand, so they were greeted at the reception. He was a stocky man, not as tall as Matt but broader in the shoulders, most probably a consequence of being dragged around by dogs all day. But the first thing that struck them on entering was his beaming smile. Which was probably also a consequence of looking after dogs all day.

“Ah, you must be Matt’s friends?” the cheerful man greeted as they stepped through the door. A German shepherd who’d been sleeping in a bed in the corner perked up at their arrival. 

“Aren’t you perceptive,” Penelope replied, taking a step forward past Derek. He frowned as her eyes locked onto the man, coy smile in place. 

The man round the desk to meet them. “I don’t think there are many Penelope Garcia’s out there, so I guess from his description anyway.”

He was about to offer his hand when Derek stepped forward, putting himself between them. “Derek Morgan.”

The man just smiled, unphased. “Luke Alvez.” 

They shook hands, what looked like a battle of grips. They both subtly shook their hands out after. Emily looked to JJ who was amused by the display. Penelope was thrilled. Emily just hoped they could get through their visit without a catfight.

“And who’s this?” Penelope gushed, the German shepherd now sniffing at her feet. 

“This is my other half, Roxy,” Luke introduced her proudly.

“Well aren’t you just the most beautiful girl?” Penelope kneeled down to pet her, which Roxy fully embraced. Derek folded his arms.

“Well look what the cat dragged in!” 

Everyone turned around to see who Luke was greeting. In the doorway stood Tara, who’d been running errands and had agreed to meet them once she finished. She removed her sunglasses almost in slow motion. Her eyes narrowed. “Alvez.”

“Lewis.”

Penelope snapped her head back and forth between the two. “What’s going on here?” She hated to be out the loop.

Tara set her sunglass atop her head and moved forward, sharp eyes not leaving Luke. “We were at Dartmouth together.”

Penelope’s jaw dropped. Luke chuckled, folding his arms. “Understatement, we lived across the hall from each other our freshman year. The stories I could tell you…” He whistled. 

“And I’m surprised you’re still alive. Just heard you dropped out senior year. You found your calling shoveling dog shit?”

Everyone was now rapt on their conversation, head darting back and forth. But Luke just smiled. And then Tara did too. They met in the middle, wrapping each other up in a firm hug. Tara patted his back. “It’s good to see you.”

“Likewise.”

Penelope blinked. 

“So!” Luke announced, “Let’s get to matchmaking.” He gestured for the others to follow him through the back, carrying on like the reunion hadn’t occurred. 

Penelope scurried up to Tara as they moved forward. “You’re telling me those stories,” she whispered. 

“Not a chance,” Tara replied with a smirk.

Emily thought they were going to be there all day. Both Derek and Spencer seemed to want to see every dog in the place. Tara pointed out each dog with a disgruntled, rather unflattering expression, saying it was Luke. Emily had never been to an animal shelter before. Of course, she had her preconceptions. She was pleasantly surprised to find the animals weren’t locked in cages, but had their own little areas, much like rooms, with beds and blankets and a mountain of toys. There was even a little garden out the back for them to play. 

Derek and Spencer had narrowed it down to four dogs that were currently running about in the garden. Derek was throwing a ball for them while Spencer had a smaller fluffier dog cuddled up in his lap. Penelope had taken a shine to this particular one too. He’d been given the temporary name of Curly by the shelter, but people were encouraged to give them new names when they adopted. 

“You do know all four of them won’t fit in your apartment right?” Tara pointed out from her place at a deck table, quite happily sipping a lemonade. 

“Yeah and don’t expect to dump them at ours,” JJ added from her seat across from her.

But Derek didn’t seem to hear them; currently wrestling with a dog that definitely had some husky in him. Most of the dogs were crosses. 

“Well I think I know who Spencer wants to take home,” Emily said pointedly, nodding her head towards him.

The little dog, definitely a poodle cross, gave him a big lick on the cheek almost as if on cue. Spencer giggled. Derek threw the football and the husky did an impressive leap in the air to catch it. 

“Aw come on, imagine having him play receiver? We’d wipe the floor with any team!”

The next second the husky came bounding up to him and knocked him off his feet.

Tara sniggered. “More like a quarterback.”

Derek groaned, about to lift himself up, when the poodle in Spencer’s arms suddenly leaped up and made a beeline for Derek. He floundered as the dog jumped on top of him, staring down at him curiously.

“Aw, he wants to check you’re okay!” Penelope cooed.

“Well that’s very nice,” Derek said, his voice taking on a condescending tone, “But I’m made of tougher things little guy, no need to save me.”

But he paused, taking a moment to look back at the little dog. His eyes softened. When it leaned in to lick his face they all knew he was a goner. 

Spencer nudged Penelope. “We’re calling him Einstein.”

“Hey!” Derek shouted, protesting.

“Isaac?” Spencer suggested. Clearly there was a pattern to these names.

“Who said we’d decided?”

But Spencer and Penelope just grinned, watching as their yet to be named dog covered Derek in kisses. Emily smiled at the sight before excusing herself to the bathroom. 

Luke directed her. “It’s just down that corridor, take a left.”

“Thanks.”

She followed Luke’s directions, passing the dogs living area on the way. Once she turned the corner she entered a separate space she hadn’t seen on the way in. Here there were cats, with a similar set up to the dogs, but with scratching posts and climbing frames. She smiled a little at their antics before heading for the bathroom. But a sound made her stop in her tracks. It was a meow, a very deep and almost strangled meow. Slowly, she turned around.

There was a black cat staring at her atop a climbing frame. Its eyes were dark, but as she took a step forward she could see they were green, sparkling with something, like this cat saw right through her. She got an uneasy feeling as it continued to stare at her, not seeming to blink.

“What’s your problem?” She asked confrontationally, like it was a normal thing to ask of a cat.

It just meowed again.

“Are you hungry?” She held up her hands. “No food here, sorry buddy.”

It meowed louder. She let out a low laugh, shaking her head and heading for the bathroom. But when she returned it was still waiting for her. She should have just walked past, but something made her stop again. She narrowed her eyes at it, and she swore it did the same. Emily had found herself in a staring contest with a cat when JJ came up behind her.

“Hey, we thought you’d fallen in, I came to rescue you,” JJ grinned.

Emily jumped and swerved around. She then laughed at JJ’s comment, remembering their last rescue attempt.

“Oh yeah, ‘cause we’re so good at that. No, this cat seemed to want my attention for some reason.”

Emily took a step back and let JJ approach the cat. She walked right up to the glass pane, as far as would allow. But the cat didn’t seem bothered, and turned its attention to Emily again. It meowed even louder than before.

“What’s so special about me?” Emily asked, more to herself than anyone.

JJ smiled. “He has good taste.”

Emily’s frown dissipated and a blush grew in its place. “I must just have a bad aura or something.” She tilted her head to the side as she continued to regard the cat. It did the same. 

“There you are!” Both women jumped as Luke appeared behind them.

“Thought you’d fallen in with her,” he joked, facing JJ. A smirk then appeared across his face as he spotted the real reason for the delay.

“Ah I see you’ve become acquainted with Sergio.”

Emily blinked and turned around. “Sergio?” She’d been under the impression that the shelter just gave them simple names mostly regarding their appearance, like Curly or Ginger, mostly to let new owners choose their own so to create their own bond with them. Sergio certainly wasn’t simple or pertaining to any features of the cat. 

Luke rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, we’re not really meant to give them such…. Personal names, but I just got this vibe from him.”

Emily cocked an eyebrow. “A vibe?”

Luke relented. “Well I ordered takeout from _Sergio’s_ and just jokingly called him that after he tried to steal some from me. It suits him though don’t you think?”

Emily turned back to the cat. Even with Luke here he hadn’t broken his gaze from her. 

“Well Sergio seems to have taken a shine to Emily,” JJ said, very amused by the situation. 

Emily grumbled. “Sergio needs to learn some manners, didn’t you teach him staring is rude?”

Luke lifted his hands up in surrender. “Hey, I’m the dog guy, take your grievances up with Ashley.”

As Emily and Sergio continued their stare-down, the voices of the others became apparent. 

“If we’re going with your choice then I get to pick the name.”

“My choice? I seem to remember you being the one he was French kissing not me.”

Derek shook his head, while Spencer just beamed. Penelope came rushing up to them when she noticed what was causing all the fuss. 

“Oh my god, they’re so cute!” she gushed. 

Emily huffed. 

“Emily’s got an admirer,” JJ relayed, nodding her head towards Sergio. 

Penelope gasped, tentatively stepping up to the glass. “Oh, he’s so handsome. Hello sir.”

But Sergio’s eyes stayed firmly glued to Emily. Penelope was now the one who huffed. Of course, she asked to see him. Luke did the honors, opening up the door to his pen. The three other cats that shared it all flocked to Penelope. She was absolutely gleeful as they crawled all over her. But Sergio only had eyes for one person. 

JJ gave Emily a nudge. She sighed but relented, taking a step into the pen. Sergio walked up to her feet and looked up, offering another meow, but this time less demanding. Emily kneeled down. He hopped up onto her thighs, firmly planting himself there. She hesitantly put on a hand to his fur, gently stroking along his back.

“Got his way finally,” JJ smiled. 

Emily rolled her eyes. She lifted her hand to move a stray piece of hair out of her face. Sergio broke out into another strangled meow. Emily let out a laugh. “God, okay.” She returned to stroking him and he fell silent again, closing his eyes in content. 

A small smile tugged at Emily’s mouth. “I always wanted a cat,” she said quietly, almost to herself.

Penelope had wanted to take a cat home too. Correction, she’d wanted to take all three cats home. JJ told her to chose one or they weren’t taking any. She’d deliberated for half an hour, but it was clear she couldn’t chose. JJ had known this. She was also well aware that they’d end up looking after Derek and Spencer’s new dog too, which was more than enough for them to handle at once. They’d have to take it in shifts looking after him, given their already full schedules. 

He was called Clooney, Derek being granted the honors after Spencer gave in. Sergio was still Sergio, clearly already attached to the name, and now attached to Emily. She couldn’t quite believe what she’d gotten herself into, but it was clear Sergio wasn’t letting her leave without him. Maybe having someone to look after was just what she needed. Maybe - somehow - he’d known that too.

* * *

JJ stopped in her tracks, leaning her weight onto her thighs and taking deep controlled breaths. She’d maybe overdone it with her morning run today. She took a great gulp of water, staring up at an ash grey sky. It was getting colder now as they crept into November, but she wouldn’t feel it until her heart rate slowed. 

It was only when she looked back up that she noticed where she’d stopped - right across from Emily’s building. She really _had_ overdone it this morning. She let out a breath, figuring she better turn back. Which, of course, was when it started to rain - to pour, in fact. _Wasn’t it too cold to rain?_ JJ thought as she sought cover underneath a towering tree. She brushed loose strands of hair out of her face and looked ahead to the building again. She then looked down the street to what now seemed a very long journey back to her own apartment. She bit her lip before taking out her phone from her leggings pocket. 

She picked up quicker than expected, causing the jolt in JJ’s reply. 

“You’re up?” she asked, checking her watch to see that it was still before noon.

She could see Emily’s eye roll in her head. “I’ve been up the past week, why did you guys let me get cat?”

JJ chuckled. “I’m sure he’s still just settling in.”

Luke had advised Emily not to have too many visitors to start off, to let Sergio get used to his new home, and her. Emily of course had no problem with that, seeing as none of them had actually been in her apartment yet. Penelope was less thrilled with this assessment, but honestly, they all had their hands full with Clooney. In fact, JJ had been woken up that morning by his barking. 

“Anyway, what’s up?”

JJ paused, almost having forgotten her reason for calling. “Um, well it’s raining pretty heavy.”

Emily sounded uncertain. “….Yes, that’s correct.”

JJ looked up to see if she could find Emily’s window, but she couldn’t remember which one it was among the hundreds. “Well, I’m outside.”

“In this?? JJ, you’ll be soaked.”

She laughed. “Yeah, it’s not great, got caught in the middle of my run. Anyway…” She didn’t know why she was so nervous. “I’m outside your apartment as it happens, I was wondering if I could take shelter with you until it passes?”

There was silence on the other end for what felt longer than a few seconds. “Um, yeah, yeah of course, I’ll buzz you in.”

JJ breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn’t like she thought Emily would turn her away. But she knew she was a private person. They’d known each other (for the second time) for nearly three months now and none of them had been inside her apartment. They only knew where it was because of Penelope’s morally questionable sleuthing. JJ didn’t want to make Emily feel like she was pushing past any boundaries. Still, she couldn’t help the buzz of excitement at the prospect of seeing where she lived. Her own personal space. Emily’s space. 

JJ tried not to feel self-conscious as she made her way through the apartment lobby, hoping she wasn’t dripping too much water on the pristine floor. She relaxed a little when she reached the elevator, but was then joined by a very stuffy looking man in a three-piece suit. She smiled at him but he took one look at her appearance; drenched in her running gear, and stared straight ahead. She let out a breath when she finally reached Emily’s floor, all but leaping out. 

She was scanning the apartment numbers, looking for 352, when a door opened at the end of the corridor. Emily stepped out, and JJ felt a catch in her throat. It was odd to see her dressed so casually, in joggers and a burgundy jumper that drowned her, all topped off with fuzzy slippers. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail, fringe lying haphazardly. She gave JJ a shy smile. She returned it, trying to repress a full-blown grin but all she could think was _how cute_ she was. 

“Apologies for my attire,” Emily greeted, motioning down to her clothes. “I wasn’t expecting to entertain.”

JJ hadn’t stopped smiling when she reached her. “I can’t exactly say anything.” She nodded down to her own soaked state. 

Emily snapped out of her embarrassment at seeing just how drenched she was. “Oh god, look at you, come in, I’ll get you a towel.” She ushered JJ in not wasting a moment more. 

JJ didn’t have time to process as she was pulled into the apartment. Her first thought was how vast the space was, and how grey. It was all very vast and grey. It was open plan, not dissimilar to her and Penelope’s apartment - with a kitchen to the left and a longue area to the right, doors on the back wall leading to what she presumed to be the bathroom and Emily’s bedroom. But that was pretty much where the similarities ended. 

Her own apartment was a mess; there was no other way to say it. Emily’s was spotless, hardly a thing out of place. She didn’t see Emily as much of a clean freak, so guessed it was simply because the space was hardly lived in, like a show home. She wondered if her bedroom was messier, but pushed the thought firmly from her mind. 

She continued her assessment of the space, noting the lack of personal affects, no pictures of friends or family, no knick-knacks or collectables. There were a few pieces of fine art hanging on the walls that were beautiful. They accounted for the only colour in the whole place, like they sapped it from the rest of the room. The only area close to looking cluttered had to be the expansive bookcase behind the couch. It wasn’t as neat as the rest of the space, the odd book lying at an angle or set atop others, showing they’d been recently read. It reminded her of Spencer’s own bookcase (Derek accounting for maybe 20% of the books on it). She was sure Emily’s taste was similarly highbrow. 

The most impressive part of the space had to be the floor to ceiling length windows looking out onto the street. She found herself walking up to them like she was in a trance. Emily had a clear view of central park, which was currently full of people running for cover from the rain. JJ smiled; they all looked so small, like figurines rather than real people. She wondered what Emily thought, looking down on them all day by day.

“Here you go.” JJ broke out of her trance, turning to find Emily offering her a towel. She smiled and thanked her, toweling off her soaked hair. She felt like she’d been caught psychoanalyzing her living space. 

“You can borrow something to wear too,” Emily said as she rounded the breakfast bar in the kitchen. “I’m just putting the kettle on, do you want some tea?” 

JJ nodded, still struggling to process that she was in Emily’s apartment. She wasn’t sure what she’d expected. It wasn’t like she’d imagined anything different, more that she hadn’t imagined it at all, or rather tried not to let herself to. Like even that seemed like an invasion. 

“I’ll go fetch you something to wear,” Emily relayed briskly after setting out two mugs on the counter top. Before JJ could speak she had disappeared through one of the doors. 

JJ approached the kitchen, noting how clean it also was, save for a few coffee stains. She chuckled. Of course that would be Emily’s main use of the kitchen. She turned to the mugs Emily had laid out. One of them had a black cat on it on top of a sheet of music. It had the word ‘depussy’ underneath. JJ tried to stifle the giggle that followed. The other mug looked like it was from Paris, with cartoon illustrations of landmarks adorning it. She’d always wanted to go to Paris, but she’d never found the time. Mostly she’d always dreamed of going with someone special. It felt like a betrayal to her childhood self to go with just anybody. 

“I think these will fit you best,” Emily’s voice sounded behind her. She turned to accept a bundle of clothes from her.

“Thank you, you’re a life saver.” 

Emily just shrugged. There was a moment’s silence and she saw Emily shuffle from foot to foot, almost like she’d only just realised that she’d let JJ into her apartment. 

“Um, where’s your bathroom?” JJ asked, holding up the clothes. 

Emily came back to herself, shaking her head. “Yes of course, it’s just that door on the left.” She pointed towards it even though it didn’t require a direction. 

JJ tried not to psychoanalyze the bathroom, though she couldn’t ignore the products that were set on the sink. There weren’t many of them but it seemed Emily’s taste was minimal yet expensive. She had lotion next to the hand soap, like a hotel, and JJ indulged herself, smoothing the cream over her cold hands. 

She stepped back out into the hall dressed in a pair of jeans that hung a little loose on her and a grey cable knit jumper. It was so soft, and she couldn’t ignore the smell of Emily’s expensive perfume: definitely more extravagant than her own vanilla perfume she’d bought on sale one year, and just decided to stick with. She couldn’t put her finger on this scent. It wasn’t floral but something earthier. There was the hint of spice. Whatever it was JJ felt she could fall into it. Which is what she did when she reached the leather couch, letting herself let go finally. It wasn’t as comfy as her and Penelope’s but it would certainly do. 

She almost dozed off, opening her eyes at the sound of a clink. Emily was opposite her, setting down two steaming mugs of coffee and tea. JJ smiled in thanks, waiting to see which mug Emily would choose. When she picked up the cat one she reached for the Paris one. She all but moaned at her first sip, feeling heat encompass her body. 

“I can get you a blanket if you want?” Emily asked. It felt like it should have been a tease but a second later JJ had a fuzzy grey blanket handed to her. She laughed. 

“Wow, this is first class service in this place.”

Emily cringed. “It’s not exactly as cozy as yours.”

JJ shrugged, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. “It’s different but it’s nice. Very… clean.”

Emily snorted and took a sip from her own mug. They sat in a content silence for a few moments before JJ had a thought. 

“Where’s Sergio? You haven’t had enough of him already have you?”

Emily laughed and set her mug down. “Well I wouldn’t disagree with that, but I haven’t given him back if that’s what you’re asking.” 

She made her way back through to her bedroom. There were some choice swear words and a snarled meow before she returned with a very disgruntled looking Sergio in her arms. 

“He doesn’t like to be woken up,” she explained, looking exasperated.

“Aw he needs his beauty sleep.” JJ didn’t hesitate to clap him as soon as he was deposited by her side. He soon relaxed once he realised he was woken up for affection. 

“I think he’s the one who’s bored of me honestly.”

JJ shook her head as Sergio nuzzled into her side. “No, he chose you that was perfectly clear.”

“Well he’s not acting like it.”

“It’s probably just that he sees you as family now. He loves you really, he just has trouble showing it.”

Emily let out a loud laugh and JJ joined in. 

“I always wanted a cat,” Emily said, repeating her words from the shelter, but this time not only to herself.

JJ tilted her head to the side, keeping up her gentle petting of Sergio. “Yeah?”

Emily nodded, curling her legs underneath herself. “Yeah, well, it was near impossible, with all the moving around. I had a goldfish for a week but forgot to feed it.”

JJ laughed. “Better remember to feed this one,” she said motioning down to Sergio. 

“Oh, don’t worry, he makes sure to remind me whenever it’s meal time. At all hours it seems. It’s like having a child.”

Sergio made a grumbling sound, like he could hear them, and JJ scratched behind his ear. “Well he’s very lucky to have you as his mum.”

“So did you have any pets growing up?” Emily asked, diverting the conversation as her cheeks grew hot.

JJ shook her head. “No, my parents always seemed too busy with work. I really wanted a dog, but what I got was a hamster. Called it Bruce.”

Emily laughed. “Of course.” 

Neither woman could say how long they sat there, Sergio sleeping soundly in JJ’s lap, both of them just talking about everything and anything, the rain as a soothing backdrop. Emily put the radio on at one point and JJ couldn’t help but stiffen at the lyrics to one of the songs, noticing how apt they were. Finally being in her apartment, she was even more aware of how out of her league Emily was. She tried to push those thoughts aside. It wasn’t as if that mattered.

They only paused their conversation when the room slowly flooded with sunlight. They both looked to the window. The rain had finally let up, and the sun was breaking out from behind parting clouds. 

“Hey look, a rainbow,” JJ pointed out, seeing the colours form in a perfect arch. 

Emily laughed.

“What?”

She coughed, moving to pick up their long empty mugs. “Nothing. Well, you’re free to go now.”

“Don’t make it sounds like you’ve kept me prisoner,” JJ scoffed. She stood up and gave Sergio one final pet before joining Emily in the kitchen. She watched her wash up the mugs, leaning her arms on the counter. She couldn’t help herself with her next words. 

“Fancy a late morning walk? I was meant to pick some breakfast up for Pen, but I guess it’s brunch now.”

Emily turned the tap off, placing the mugs on the counter. She turned around, a completely unreserved smile on her face. “Yeah okay.”

JJ beamed. 

After that morning it became a routine, their morning Sunday walks, just the two of them. At first it felt strange to be without the rest of the group, almost like they were doing something wrong. But JJ couldn’t help the excitement she felt every time she met Emily at her apartment, knowing she got her all to herself. She loved all her friends, of course she did. But she liked being able to talk to Emily, just the two of them. It felt different. More intimate. Even if they fell into silence as they walked, or sat drinking tea afterwards, she just liked being around her. 

She could only hope Penelope wouldn’t be too angry at her for all the Sergio cuddles it granted her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some fluff with some fluffy friends! It's taken 12 chapters but finally the gang feels complete <3 I originally had Luke being a professor too, but I couldn't think of what he'd teach. I thought about what he loved, and so here we are. Also college dropout rights! 
> 
> songs - 
> 
> Working for the weekend - loverboy  
> she's so high - tal bachman


	13. the one with friendsgiving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily is invited to her first thanksgiving celebration that doesn't make her want to bash her head against a wall, but it might also include playing football.

Emily smiled as she finished off her marking, writing a big red A at the top right of the essay.

“Way to go Kayla,” she said to herself. 

A knock at the door made her whip her head up and drop her pen. Spencer had his head poked around the door, a wide grin plastered over his face. 

“Still hard at work I see,” he observed.

Emily let out a breath, collecting the marked papers and filing them into a binder. “Yeah well, can’t let things get ahead of me. Plus, I swear some students think I only teach their class, not like I have a hundred other students’ papers to mark.” 

She tapped a key on her laptop and the screen came to life again. She took a quick look at her emails, rolling her eyes. “My point made, there’s another email from a student asking when she’ll get her paper back.” She shook her head with a low laugh. 

“Well I think you’re granted a break now,” Spencer said.

“Too right,” Emily agreed, shaking her head. “What are you doing here anyway?”

Spencer nodded down the corridor. “I just dropped by to see Alex.”

“That’s Dr. Blake right? Linguistics?”

She vaguely remembered Spencer saying that was who he’d been visiting the day he ran past her for the elevator. She was under the impression that they were good friends. Probably born out of all of Spencer’s questions.

“Yeah,” Spencer clarified, pausing before continuing. “I was just wishing her a happy thanksgiving weekend.” 

Emily looked back up, brow furrowing. She really had lost track of the dates.

“Everyone’s setting off for home,” Spencer added, nodding his head towards the window, “First time for them since the start of term.”

Emily pushed herself up from her desk and approached the window. Sure enough, there were swarms of students below, hauling suitcases and fumbling with bags, all streaming out underneath the arch, away from campus. 

“It’s going to be so quiet around here,” Emily said.

Spencer came up to join her, watching as one girl dropped a hefty bag, laundry falling out. Emily laughed. You’d think they were moving back home, not visiting for a long weekend.

“Never was much a fan of thanksgiving,” Emily mused when Spencer hadn’t said anything else.

He nodded beside her. “Me either.” 

She turned her head, the hint of surprise evident. “For cultural or personal reasons?”

“Both,” he answered, eyes still locked on the crowd. 

Emily hadn’t spent that much time alone with Spencer - with any of them really aside from JJ, and Penelope occasionally. Spencer was hard for her to figure out. He always seemed so joyful, having an unmistakable passion for knowledge and therefore life itself. But she sometimes sensed there was something more lying underneath the surface, in times when he grew quiet and contemplative. She sensed it now, clearly. 

“I never really had the big family celebration growing up,” Spencer elaborated, voice not devoid of emotion but not giving anything away either.

Emily held back from saying ‘you’re still growing up’, instead settling for an empathic nod. But another moment passed and she found herself speaking again.

“I had plenty of big celebrations but none of them family orientated. Mostly appeasing diplomats. Never bothered much, given – well, everything.”

Spencer nodded and finally turned away from the window to face her. “Friendsgiving is a lot better.”

Emily cocked an eyebrow. “What now?

Spencer smiled, his distant, melancholy look no more. “Friendsgiving, it’s what Penelope calls our celebration. Much better.”

Emily nodded in understanding; though her mouth still hung slightly open. 

“Well, you’ll see tomorrow,” Spencer said as he walked back to the door. 

“I will?” Emily blinked.

Spencer nodded. “Yeah, we’re eating at 2 but kickoff’s at 10.”

Emily took a moment more to fully comprehend his meaning. “I’m invited for thanksgiving?”

Spencer just grinned, like it wasn’t even a question. He waited for Emily to pack up her things and pull on her coat, holding the door open for her. It was only when she was switching off the lights that she backtracked. 

“Wait, did you say kickoff?” 

* * *

JJ gave Tara a high five as she stepped in line beside her.

Penelope huffed. 

“Pen, you ran away from the ball last time we played,” JJ pointed out, defending her decision.

Penelope crossed her arms, ignoring her. 

“Alright kid,” Derek sighed, beckoning him over. Spencer just smiled and joined him.

“I’m better than him!” Penelope argued.

Derek shrugged. “Long legs.”

Nobody argued when Derek and JJ declared themselves as captains. It made it fairer too; the previous year they’d played with Derek, JJ and Hotch on one team and Tara tried to rally Spencer and Penelope by herself. Hotch wasn’t joining them this year, having already travelled to San Francisco to spent the long weekend with Haley’s family. 

“Boo!” came heckling from the side.

Kayla was sat on a bench, Clooney cuddled up in her lap. He was a little bigger curled up on her crossed legs than Derek, his own furry legs hanging off the sides. But he still smiled like it was the best seat in the house. 

Penelope grinned as Kayla continued to stand up for her.

“Cut it out or I’m sending you home!” Derek warned.

“To my infected brother?” Kayla bit back. 

“Should have caught it earlier like the rest of us.” Derek shrugged.

Kayla grumbled but shut up. She was spending thanksgiving with her uncle this year. Her little brother Wes had caught the chicken pox and she hadn’t had it. She didn’t seem too bothered by this; she’d get to go home at Christmas next month anyway. She wouldn’t admit it but she was actually pretty excited to be spending the holiday with her uncle and his friends – even if one of them was her French professor. It also didn’t hurt that she’d too fallen head over heels for Clooney. 

Penelope placed her hands on her hips, boring her eyes into JJ as she made her last pick. JJ looked between her and Emily before her eyes landed on her choice, a smirk gracing her features.

“Emily,” she said.

Emily’s eyes widened. Penelope threw her hands up.

“Aw, come on babygirl, you can watch my back,” Derek winked as she trudged over to him. 

“I can honestly say that’s the first time I’ve been picked over someone for a sports team,” Emily said to JJ as she joined her and Tara.

JJ gave her a knowing smile, leaning in so the others couldn’t hear. “Derek hasn’t seen you shove a guy up against a wall. You’re our secret weapon.”

Emily’s cheeks reddened. Tara appraised her with curiosity and a hint of admiration, but being her didn’t press for more information. 

“What do you say about making this more interesting?” Derek called over, eyes sparkling. 

JJ swiftly turned around, her own eyes narrowing. “Oh yeah?”

Derek stood tall, head held high. “Winner cleans the dishes.”

JJ arched an eyebrow. “All of them?”

“Every. Last. One.”

JJ strode forward to firmly shake his hand. “You’re on.”

She returned to Tara and Emily to form a huddle while Derek, Spencer, and Penelope did the same on the other side of their makeshift pitch. They’d found a modest section of grass in Central Park that wasn’t taken. The park was usually busy but even more so on the holidays. 

“Okay, game-plan,” JJ said, her voice taking on a serious tone Emily hadn’t heard before. “Tara you catch it and me and Emily will cover you.”

“That would be the ball you’re catching right?” Emily said slowly, only half joking.

JJ looked at her in a way that told her now wasn’t the time for jokes. They left their huddle and faced the others. Derek and JJ were staring daggers at each other, like this really was war. Spencer was just smiling like a kid happy to be there and Penelope was looking at her nails like she wanted to be anywhere but. 

“Kayla!” JJ called, not breaking her steely gaze on Derek, “Hit it!”

Kayla rolled her eyes with a smile and turned on the speaker. _Eye of the Tiger_ sounded out over the pitch. 

Derek threw the ball and before Emily could prepare JJ went speeding off like a rocket. Emily quickly found her feet and went arching off in the other direction while Tara went right down the middle, catching the ball like it was nothing; she was surprised she wasn’t playing with her sunglasses on. Derek was charging towards her, eyes set on the ball, but suddenly JJ was on him, tackling him to the ground by grabbing hold of his legs. They both toppled over. Tara smirked and coolly walked towards the touchdown line that they’d declared by a huge oak tree. JJ dusted herself off and ran up to give her a high five. Emily felt stupid joining in seeing as she hadn’t actually done anything. 

Derek started the next run again, this time by bending down with his legs spread. Tara did the same opposite him. Emily just stood to the right of Tara looking confused. 

“Hike!” Derek called and threw the ball back through his legs to Spencer. He caught it, looking delighted. However, almost immediately after, he saw JJ making towards him and flung the ball over to Penelope. She really gave it a good effort, jumping high in the air, but the ball brushed right over her hands. 

“Hey, I almost caught that one!” she shouted happily. Derek nodded with a tight smile, as JJ had already picked the ball up and claimed their second touchdown. 

They continued like this for half an hour, JJ’s team scoring touchdown after touchdown – even Emily getting one by just getting passed the ball by Tara. Spencer nearly made one, a gleeful grin on his face as he ran (rather uniquely) towards the line, but was swiftly taken down by JJ. At one point Derek subbed him in for Clooney, though he was more interested in chasing squirrels up trees than catching a football. They were coming up to half time when JJ was making another run for a touchdown, with Derek close on her heels. Emily saw the smirk on his face. 

“Guys, cover me!” JJ called. 

Tara was trying to do just that but Penelope and Spencer had opted to team up, circling around her. Which left Emily free. She heard Derek’s laugh and JJ called again for backup. She sighed before taking off towards them. She hadn’t run like this in what had to be a year, her legs felt heavy. But she felt them loosen up the closer she got. She had to admit it felt good. What felt even better was the satisfaction of tackling Derek to the ground. He groaned, turning onto his side to hold his stomach. 

“Jeez Princess, you’ve been holding out on us.”

Kayla cackled at the sight of her uncle being taken out by one of her professors, not something she thought many could say. 

“Halftime!” she called to the others. “I think you could use a break Uncle D,” she sniggered. He gave her the finger. 

They took a break to get some snacks. Emily offered to get them, dropping by one of the shops across the street. She couldn’t help but smile when she spotted one particular snack displayed at the counter and dropped it in her basket. When she returned she found them all sprawled out on the blanket they’d brought, laid out beside the bench. It was still chilly but clearly the workout had taken its toll. Kayla was the only one who was still bundled up in her jacket. Clooney was too, sporting the rather dashing purple coat Spencer had splurged on. 

“Heads up,” Emily called as she walked up to them. 

JJ didn’t hesitate, swiftly turning around and catching the packet of Cheetos. She grinned. “Thank you.”

Emily gave her a small smile before sitting down in the space next to Penelope. She was watching her closely. Emily had learned that JJ had a certain… affinity for the cheesy snack on one of their walks. They snacked away for ten minutes or so, fuelling up for the second half. Penelope groaned when Derek jumped to his feet prematurely. 

“Okay, let’s go!”

JJ was of course right behind him. When she started to form a huddle with Emily and Tara, Derek stepped between them. 

“Uh, uh,” he said, shaking his head, “You hustled me, I want Prentiss.”

JJ let out a sharp laugh, eyebrows raised. “I did no such thing, not my fault you prejudged her. Some of us can see others hidden talents.”

Emily choked on the water she was drinking. Derek stood his ground, squaring up to JJ. She wasn’t intimidated despite his stature, smiling up at him. 

“I’m switching Garcia for Prentiss,” he stated, like there was no discussion to be had.

JJ relented, shrugging her shoulders casually. “Fine, if you really need the advantage to win.”

“Hey!” Penelope protested, now given an incentive to take to her feet, “I won’t be tossed about like an old rag!”

“It’s okay, Pen, we’d be delighted to have you,” JJ said earnestly, offering a hand. 

Penelope huffed. “Yeah, cause you were so eager to have me on your team earlier.”

And so Emily found herself being dragged into a huddle with Derek and Spencer. 

“I thought you hated sports,” Derek whispered to Emily. 

She shrugged against the weight of Derek and Spencer’s arms around her shoulders. “I do, doesn’t mean I can’t take someone to the ground if I have the notion.” She said the words casually, like there was no other story behind it.

Luckily Derek wasn’t very concerned with explanations at that moment. 

“Okay, I’ll go for the ball, Emily you take down JJ.”

Emily’s jaw dropped a little. 

“And me?” Spencer asked eagerly.

Derek paused. “You… go long.”

Spencer nodded as if that was the answer he’d been expecting. Derek gave them both a firm pat on the back before they broke out of their huddle. Emily’s eyes locked onto JJ, who was looking at her with a glint of mischievousness, like she knew exactly what their game plan was. It had completely left Emily’s head when the ball was thrown and JJ came charging towards her. She had a moment to notice Tara and Penelope blocking Derek together before she was knocked off her feet. She blinked, opening her eyes to find blonde hair falling over her. JJ smirked down at her, the light from the sun shining behind her. Emily gulped. 

“Gotta take out the most dangerous player,” JJ said, her voice husky.

Emily felt dizzy. There was a yelp and they both turned their heads. Derek was trying his best to crawl to the finish line, but Penelope and Tara each had a hold of one of his legs, dragging him backwards. Spencer, as instructed, had gone long, standing at a distance away from the others. Derek gave a groan of exertion before managing to fling the ball in his direction. 

“Kid!”

Spencer snapped out of whatever thought had him captivated, watching as the ball bounced to the ground a few feet away from him. JJ gave Emily one final smirk before leaping to her feet. Spencer took one bewildered look at JJ before hastily picking up the ball. He started to run towards the finish line, Derek cheering him on. JJ was hot on his tail but was too far away to catch up. He tossed the ball to the ground, elation clear on his face as he threw his hands up. 

Penelope and Tara released Derek and he whistled, cheering Spencer on. “Way to go kid!”

Tara scoffed. “You do know you’re still like a hundred points behind right?”

The match took a turn after that. Derek, Spencer and Emily made a rather unconventional yet effective team. Derek did most of the hard work, getting the ball and avoiding tackles, inevitably passing it to Spencer who they’d found was actually a good runner. Emily’s role seemed to be to avoid/initiate tackles with JJ. No matter how else the match was playing out, Emily inevitably found herself under or on top of her. In all honesty, she soon forgot that there was another purpose to the match – to make touchdowns, and not to pin JJ to the grass. It was a complete adrenaline rush, but in a fun way not a running for your life kind of way. She almost felt like a little kid – although there was nothing innocent about the heat she felt when JJ was on top of her. 

“Okay I’m calling it!” Kayla shouted. There was no telling how long it had been, all of them - even Penelope – having gotten caught up in the competition of it all. 

“I’m hungry, you guys can stay out here all night but me and Clooney are getting some food.”

To be honest, they’d lost track of the score and Kayla had long since stopped caring. 

“You’re meant to be the sports star of the family,” Derek pointed out as they collecting their things. 

“I like basketball, the superior sport, not football,” she replied, tugging lightly on Clooney’s lead when he got scent of a squirrel. 

* * *

“So, have fun rolling around in the grass with Emily?” Penelope had come up behind JJ at the kitchen counter, eyebrows waggling. At least she’d had the decency to lower her voice. 

She was glad Emily wasn’t there at that moment, having gone back to her apartment to take a shower and change. And the others were talking in the longue so she supposed Penelope was taking some caution. 

“We were playing football,” JJ replied, like it was an obvious explanation. “You do know you’re meant to tackle people in football.”

But Penelope just rolled her eyes. “Tell yourself whatever you want, honey, you weren’t trying to tackle anyone else.”

“The point is to take out the players who are _threats._ ”

Penelope crossed her arms, head tilted up. “And what about Derek?”

JJ sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve had enough of this, how about you actually help me?”

Penelope smirked like she knew she’d cracked her. 

Derek suddenly let out a great roar and leaped off the couch. Clooney snapped his head up from his spot in Kayla’s lap, that he’d previously been sleeping in. JJ tensed. It was like a switch was flicked and she was into _Sports Mode._

“What happened?” she rushed to the TV.

Derek smirked. “Touchdown to the bears! Oh, we’re coming for you!”

JJ snapped her head to the TV to confirm that Derek’s home team the Chicago Bears had indeed scored a touchdown. Coincidentally they were playing JJ’s home team the Pittsburgh Steelers.

JJ composed herself, putting on a smile. “We’ll let you have this one.”

Derek proceeded to do a victory dance – even though the game was far from over – and JJ returned to a concerned looking Penelope. JJ continued mashing potatoes, this time with a new sense of enthusiasm.

“You want me to take over?” Penelope asked cautiously. 

“Everything’s fine,” JJ replied with a tight smile. And then added, “Derek’s laying off the cranberry sauce this year.”

“But that’s his favourite.”

JJ glared at her and Penelope decided against any argument. 

“Half-time!” Spencer called.

Derek joined them in the kitchen, surveying the preparations. “Where are we at?”

He and JJ were nearly as competitive about cooking thanksgiving dinner as they were about sports. They’d decided to take turns with leading the preparations and watching the game. But they always seemed to find the smallest grievance with what the other had done.

“Just getting the vegetables ready, turkey should be another half hour.”

Derek nodded and JJ ceremoniously tore off her apron to hand to him, which he accepted with a smile. Really, Derek was the one who loved cooking. He was proud to carry on family recipes from his mother. JJ’s need to lead the cooking was born out of rivalry more than anything. She fell onto the couch, now on edge after a team she’d always claimed to be amateurs were gaining on her own. 

A moment later Emily stepped through the door. 

“Uh, I knocked but there was no answer,” she said, gesturing to the door. 

She looked towards the TV that was playing rather loudly. “But now I can see why. Does football never end?”

“Tell me about it,” Kayla grumbled from her place on the couch. “There’s a Liberty game on right now, can’t we watch that?” 

“Football over basketball, my house, my rules!” Derek called.

“Your house?” JJ whipped her head round with an incredulous look.

“Close enough,” Derek shrugged, before turning to Emily.

“Prentiss, you could have just smashed the door down, you don’t have us fooled anymore.” He pointed a spoon at her and it was then that Emily seemed to fully take in his attire. Her eyebrows rose. “It seems you’ve also been holding out on us.”

JJ snorted. “He’s like this every year.”

“Nothing sexier than a man who can cook!” was Derek’s response. He swayed his hips as if to make his point – earning a swoon from Penelope.

JJ saw Emily have an amused smile as she set her bag on the table. “I got the butternut squash you asked for,” she said to Penelope, laying it out on the table. 

“You’re a life-saver thank you!”

Emily smiled in return and removed her coat, laying it over the back of the couch. 

“How’s it going?” she asked, nodding her head to the TV.

JJ laughed. “You’re really not interested.”

Emily shrugged. “Okay, I’m not but tell me anyway.”

JJ couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her mouth.

“Well, Derek’s home team made a miraculous touchdown against us, but the Steelers took their lead back. Should have taken a picture while it lasted!” She shouted the last sentence over to Derek. He just shot her the finger without turning around.

Penelope came over to hand Emily a drink without her asking – a lemonade, which the group had gotten to know was her favourite. She smiled, thanking her and reaching out for the glass. It was then that JJ noticed the scratches on her neck.

“Emily!”

“What?” she turned around, looking stricken.

“Your neck,” JJ pointed to the red lines adorning her neck.

Emily winced, setting down the glass on the coffee table. “Oh yeah, Sergio wasn’t too happy about me leaving him again.”

JJ cringed but Penelope just smirked. “Better cover those up, people might think they’re from other…. activities.” She winked and Emily’s face flushed. 

“Pen,” JJ all but hissed, subtly nodding towards Kayla who was still sat opposite them on the floor with Clooney.

“Can’t hear a thing,” she said, eyes firmly glued to her phone.

Tara then entered the apartment, the door slamming shut behind her. She looked aggravated, shopping bag in hand. “Never send me out food shopping on thanksgiving again.” She heaved the bag up onto the kitchen table and tore off her coat. “You’d think people would be more organised.”

“There’s always something you forget,” Derek shrugged.

“Yeah, well, next time you forget butternut squash you can get it yourself.”

Penelope winced. 

“What?”

“I forgot to tell you, Emily said she could pick up some on her way here.”

Emily smiled sheepishly and Tara just sighed. “Well now we’re prepared for next year.”

She proceeded to plop herself down onto the couch next to JJ and Emily. “Bears getting crushed?”

“Yep,” JJ replied.

Tara nodded as if everything was in order. As they continued to watch JJ could feel Emily’s eyes on her. Eventually she gave in and turned to face her.

“What?” 

Emily looked startled; like she’d been caught doing something she shouldn’t and turned back to the TV (though JJ couldn’t say for certain if she’d ever been watching). 

“Nothing.” She then turned her attention to Derek and Penelope who were still busy attending to the cooking. “I feel like I should help out, I feel lazy just sitting here.”

JJ smiled and gestured to the kitchen. “Well, go ahead. Though I’ll warn you, Derek runs a tight ship. Sure you’re up to the challenge?”

Emily rolled her eyes as she stood up. “After tackling him ten times today, I’m sure I can handle it.”

“You need a top up already?” Penelope asked when Emily approached them, already opening the fridge.

Emily shook her head with a smile. “No, I.. Uh, I thought I’d help out.” She gestured vaguely at the countertop that was awash with ongoing preparations. 

Derek cocked an eyebrow. “Well, okay Princess.” Without another word he handed her the knife he’d been using.

Emily took it hesitantly; holding it like it was a completely foreign object. 

“You can cut up the carrots,” Derek instructed, moving to check on the turkey in the oven. “Thin slices,” he added quickly.

“Affirmative,” Emily replied, with a mock salute. 

It was five seconds later that she let out a yelp. Everyone snapped their heads up.

“Are you okay?” Penelope came rushing to her side. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she insisted, despite the blood running down from her finger and onto the chopping board.

Penelope gasped, which instantly had JJ jumping from her seat.

“It’s nothing,” Emily repeated.

“Uh uh,” Derek promptly removed the knife from her hand and turned her around. “No blood in my kitchen, you’re benched Prentiss.”

Emily gave a weak chuckle, but let him push her gently out of the kitchen. Penelope was right behind her, plaster already in hand. Emily grumbled but accepted it, returning to her seat on the couch. 

“Are you okay?” JJ asked, concern evident on her face.

When Emily nodded yes, showing her it was just a small cut, JJ let the laugh she’d been suppressing break free.

* * *

An hour later they all sat around the table, leaning back and holding their hands to their stomachs.

Tara dropped her fork into a bowl of finished pumpkin pie. “Well that saves me money on food shopping,” she groaned, “I’m not eating anything for a week.”

“Cheers to that,” Emily agreed, shifting in her chair.

She didn’t think she’d eaten as much in one sitting in her life. The only big meals she’d attended were ones her mother had made her go to; banquets and dinners with socialites – and the food was never as appetizing as Derek and JJ’s feast had been.

“Speaking of, I think we’ve earned the right to indulge ourselves.” Derek stood up from the table and opened the fridge, producing a rather expensive looking bottle of red wine. 

“Who’s with me?” Tara, Penelope and Spencer all shot their hands up. Derek obliged, filling each of their glasses. 

“What about you K?” he asked when he reached Kayla. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” He winked. 

Kayla smiled at the offer, glad to be thought of as an adult, but looking at the wine ultimately made her stomach turn; the memories of spending her Halloween bent over a toilet were still too raw. 

“No thanks,” she shook her head, trying to hold back her nausea, “I don’t think I can, not after - ” 

She caught herself just in time, realizing who she was speaking to. Her eyes bulged, and she shot a panicked look to Penelope, JJ and Emily respectively. Derek’s eyes narrowed, catching a scent. 

“Not after all that food,” Emily pitched in when the others seemed to freeze, “I don’t think I’ll be drinking for a while either.”

Kayla visibly relaxed, shoulders falling, and she offered Emily a silent thank you. She smiled back, hoping Derek didn’t catch it. He seemed satisfied with the answer and moved onto JJ. She shook her head, also claiming to be too full.

The others took their glasses of wine with them over by the couch, setting themselves down in a more comfortable setting. However Kayla stopped her uncle in his tracks. 

“Eh, I seem to remember you making a certain bet? Loser cleans up?”

Derek tilted his head. “And when did we decide that my team lost?”

Kayla shrugged. “Just now.”

Derek made to argue but Emily cut in. “It’s okay, I’ll make a start, you drink your wine.”

He didn’t jump to protest, just glared at Kayla before taking his seat across from Spencer. Really, Emily still felt guilty about getting blood all over the chopping board. At least this way she’d feel like she’d contributed something. She elected to wear the apron while she cleaned, in hopes of not staining her jumper. She’d cleaned two plates when she felt a tap at her shoulder. She jumped, which earned a laugh from behind her. She turned to find JJ smiling at her.

“You wash, I dry?” she pointed to the wet plates sitting by the sink.

Emily just smiled and made room for JJ beside her, handing her a dishtowel. They continued in silence for a few minutes, just listening to the others chat. Emily handed JJ a plate and she began drying it, when a thought came to her. She smiled.

“What?” Emily asked, curious.

JJ shook her head, holding back a laugh. “This is familiar isn’t it?” She nodded down to the plate in her hand.

Emily frowned for a moment before the memory came back to her: JJ offering to help her clean up at the coffeehouse, their first conversation, talking about where they were going to go, what they were going to do. It was so long ago, but at the same time it felt like just yesterday. One thing was certain; neither of them thought they’d find themselves here today. 

Emily just smiled back. “Well, again I’m happy to have the company.”

JJ gave her a soft smile in return. Another few peaceful moments passed before she spoke again. “It was fun today wasn’t it?”

“Yeah at least Derek refrained from hitting me in the head this time,” Emily said, remembering the first encounter she’d had with him. She also hadn’t anticipated having thanksgiving dinner with the man that nearly concussed her. 

“Sorry if I got a little rough,” JJ teased, nudging Emily with her hip.

Emily just laughed. “You keep going on about how I was holding out on you? JJ, you could easily throw any guy up against a wall.”

JJ shrugged. “I may have also taken some self-defense classes last summer.”

Emily smiled. “Well I’ll watch my back from now on.”

They finished off their washing up with music in the background that Kayla had put on. Obviously having had time to digest dinner, Derek was now on his feet, dragging a grumbling Kayla along with him. She settled on a small sway while Penelope joined in, Derek twirling her around. Again, it wasn’t any music Emily had heard of – if it was from the past five years then it was almost guaranteed that she hadn’t. Tara was next to join, falling into a natural smooth rhythm with Penelope. Even Spencer was nodding his head along to the beat, which was a sight Emily felt privileged to witness. 

It was when the song faded out and the soft guitar notes of a new one began, that Derek froze. He turned to Kayla slowly, a grin breaking out on his face. Kayla gave a loud sigh. Derek shook his head and took her hand.

“Oh no, come on, it’s tradition!”

Kayla relented and let him drag her to a free space between the lounge and the kitchen. Emily frowned, turning to JJ. 

“What - ”

“You’ll see,” JJ replied, leaning back against the counter, obviously ready for the show.

Following the guitar notes was the voice of a woman, which Emily did vaguely recognise. Derek proceeded to speak the whole opening monologue with her, Kayla rolling her eyes beside him. It was lulling Emily into a false sense of security when suddenly it shifted and Derek and Kayla were jumping up and down on their feet, matching the change of pace. Penelope squealed, clapping her hands while Tara whistled. It was, Emily had to admit, pretty impressive. It was like they’d transformed into professional dancers, doing a fully choreographed jive around the kitchen to _Proud Mary._ Clooney was going crazy, barking along and wanting to join in. Emily wasn’t sure at what point she’d started clapping along. Once it ended and they fell onto the couch, even she felt out of breath.

“Wow, that was…” She didn’t have the words.

“Morgan family tradition,” Derek grinned, giving Kayla a tired high five.

“Encore!” Penelope demanded, slapping the arm of the couch. 

Kayla just shook her head and sank down to the floor, Clooney running into her arms. Emily laughed lightly and excused herself to the bathroom. She jumped as she ran into Spencer who was coming in from the door leading to the balcony outside. 

“Oh, sorry,” Emily apologised.

“No worries,” Spencer smiled, snapping his phone shut. “I was just calling my mum.”

“Oh that’s nice,” Emily said. 

She couldn’t imagine calling her mum to wish her happy holidays. And, honestly, from the conversation she’d had with Spencer the day before, she’d been under the impression he couldn’t either. He must have seen the thought cross over her face, since he explained before she could say another word.

“My mum stays in a care facility, she’s got schizophrenia.”

“Oh.” Emily really wished she had another word to say.

“It’s okay, you didn’t know,” Spencer assured her. “It’s not something I talk about to just anyone.”

Emily nodded, and felt an unexpected sense of happiness, knowing Spencer felt comfortable enough around her to share something so private.

“I’d been in denial about it for a while,” Spencer continued, “I convinced myself we could cope on our own, with me checking up on her whenever I could, but it got to be too much, for both of us. She’s happier now, actually.” He smiled.

“That’s good,” Emily said, feeling her own smile.

“Yeah, she has her good and bad days. Don’t really know when, but I wanted to call to wish her a happy thanksgiving anyway. Even if it was never much of a happy time for us when I was growing up.”

“Well, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it.”

Spencer nodded in response, but his eyes had fallen onto the rest of their friends. Emily turned to look too. 

“Two years ago, when I finally had to let her go,” Spencer continued. “I was ready to spend the holidays alone. I didn’t expect anything different, really. Everyone was going home to their families.” He waved a hand towards the group. “But the day before thanksgiving Derek turned up to my apartment with a suitcase and told me I was moving in with him. And we were having thanksgiving together. All of us.” He smiled wider at the memory. 

Emily’s eyebrows rose. She had wondered about the others, why they weren’t travelling home to their own families. She knew Derek at least was close with his. She was sure she’d heard Penelope mention a brother and Tara spoke of her parents every now and again. JJ, despite being the person she spent the most time with in recent weeks, was more of a closed book in the family department.

“Everyone goes home for Christmas, Derek brings me with him now,” Spencer explained, once again reading Emily’s thoughts.

Emily just smiled, looking down at the floor and trying not to think about how she’d be spending her own Christmas.

“But he said thanksgiving is our holiday.” Spencer smiled. “Hence, Friendsgiving.”

Emily looked back up, seeing Spencer still regarding his friends fondly. She took the moment to see what he saw: Tara and Penelope on their feet dancing, Derek and Kayla still out of commission on the couch with Clooney between them, and JJ wiping down the table in the kitchen. She looked up to catch Emily – almost like she could sense her staring, and smiled. Emily didn’t turn away. 

She realised now that they weren’t just a group of people that were spending this day together because they had nowhere else to go. They hadn’t been forced together; they’d chosen to be here for each other. Growing up, Emily had always thought of holidays as times that you were forced to be with family you didn’t want. 

Standing there, she thought that maybe this was what a family was meant to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do these keep getting longer... Not making any promises to keep that up haha. And yes, it's another cheesefest, but don't worry, there's Definitely more of that to come :) And yay Emily and Spencer bonding!
> 
> (And yes the football part is entirely taken from the friends episode)
> 
> Songs:
> 
> Eye of the tiger - survivor  
> Hey ya! - outkast  
> proud mary - tina turner


	14. the one that's all very domestic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily has a disastrous night but her friends come to her rescue. She's still getting used to it.

“ _‘Don’t be fooled by his albeit breathtaking exterior. Professor Morgan is one of the most understanding and sensitive Professors I’ve ever had.’_ Ha! Beat that!”

“It’s great that you care so much about your students,” JJ sighed. “You sure Penelope didn’t write that?”

Derek just smirked and turned back to the laptop laid out on the table. Penelope had brought their attention to Rate My Professor, a site that allowed students to give their professors a rating and also write a review, covering such topics as knowledge on their subject and willingness to offer support - among other… less appropriate comments. Derek was having a field day.

“Oh but that’s not the best part,” Penelope leaned in and scrolled further down for him.

His eyes widened. “Oh well that’s… generous.”

JJ got up from her seat across from them to see for herself. When she read the displayed comments she snapped the lid of the laptop shut. “Well I think that’s enough of that.”

“They’ve got an expansive vocabulary, you have to give them that,” Penelope sniggered.

JJ just shook her head. It was Friday night, and as always they were at the coffee house. JJ, Derek and Penelope had arrived early, having already had dinner at a place downtown when they found themselves with a free afternoon. They were just waiting on Tara, Hotch, and Emily. Spencer was held up at the university, dealing with frazzled students’ emails who were in a state about their upcoming exams. It was a hectic time. JJ felt relieved not to be dealing with those problems at least. She was mostly needed after the exams when students realised just how behind they’d been.

“You know whose ratings I’d like to see?” Penelope had a glint in her eye.

JJ shrugged.

“Emily’s.”

JJ shook her head at once. “Absolutely not, was Derek’s not scarring enough?”

Penelope huffed, crossing her arms and falling back into the couch.

“No offence but I don’t think they would have anything on mine,” Derek declared, with the hint of a smile.

JJ shot him a disapproving look.

“What?” he asked, defensive.

“You’re really getting into a competition over this?”

“You’re just pissed you can’t get in on it. It’s only incentive to be a better teacher. Improving performance.”

JJ snorted. “More like fueling your ego.”

“What’s this about improving performance?” Hotch approached them, removing his jacket and gloves.

JJ shook her head. “Oh don’t ask. Please.”

Hotch raised his eyebrows. “Well okay then.”

They chatted for a few more minutes, deciding to order more coffees while they waited, despite already having had multiple. Jordan had just brought them over when Tara phoned to say she couldn’t make it – one of her grad students was having a thesis crisis. JJ sighed and looked at her watch.

“It’s getting late, I’m going to call Emily.”

“Oh, I’m checking Reid’s,” Derek declared, Penelope shuffling over in excitement. 

They looked like two gleeful school kids. JJ rolled her eyes. 

As the sky darkened and the coffeehouse grew crowded, it was getting difficult to hear. She excused herself, pulling on her coat and making her way outside. The phone rang for a prolonged amount of time, making JJ anxious. It was silly; there were a thousand reasons why Emily wouldn’t pick up the phone immediately. She could be in the bathroom, or taking a shower, or tending to Sergio, or maybe she’d popped out to the shops. Anyhow, when it eventually rung out, JJ cursed. As stupid as it might be, she couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. She deliberated for a moment before calling again. 

Emily picked up on the second ring.

“Hello?” she sounded disorientated.

“Emily!” JJ tried to tone down the worry in her voice. “Are you okay? We were meant to meet half an hour ago.”

Emily cursed, which was then followed by a laugh. JJ frowned. “Emily?”

“Sorry, I just – well it’s been a chaotic night.”

“What happened? Do you need help?”

Another laugh. “You could say that. My apartment burned down.”

* * *

“I can’t believe Reid got a higher rating than me,” Derek sulked. “ _‘He can take care of all my needs.’_ You know some of those comments were out of line, they should be monitoring those sites.”

JJ shot him a glare and he shut his mouth. They were all congregated outside of Emily’s apartment building, where a fire engine was parked across the street. Emily sat on the sidewalk, curled up in a blanket with Sergio. She really was feeling like she was in the gutter. Oh if her mother could see her now. She was sure she’d have her camera ready. 

Penelope had her arm wrapped tightly around her. “Ah sweetie it’s gonna be okay.”

“A student said he was in love with me once.”

Everyone turned to look at Hotch. 

“Sorry, I was trying to ease the tension.”

JJ rolled her eyes, taking a step forward to narrowly avoid the large group of guys who were stumbling along the street. Friday night in New York City really wasn’t the best time to have your apartment catch fire. She looked down at Emily, feeling her heart ache. She didn’t want to make her feel any worse but she had to ask.

“Emily, what…. Happened?”

As soon as she’d heard the word fire on Emily’s phone call she’d jumped into action and rounded up the others to reach Emily as fast as possible. Once they’d arrived they’d elected comforting Emily to be a top priority rather than asking questions.

Emily let her head fall into her hands, heaving a massive groan. Sergio matched it, grumbling himself. It sounded like Emily was saying something but the words were muffled into her hands.

“Gonna translate that for us?” Derek asked.

Emily lifted her head up, a look of utter embarrassment on her face. “I was making pizza.”

Penelope rubbed her back again. “Oh fun! Did you make the dough? I love making dough.”

Emily’s head fell back to stare up at the sky. “It was store bought.”

“Oh.” Penelope frowned. “So you put pizza in the oven and it… burned the apartment down?”

Emily nodded, wishing she could float up into the blackness of the polluted sky. The truth was that she’d decided to have a quick bath while she waited for the pizza to cook, which was meant to be half an hour. But she may have gotten too comfortable while soaking amongst the bubbles; she put this down to not realizing just how stressed she’d been in the run up to exams. It wasn’t like she was the one sitting them, what did it matter? But as much as she wouldn’t admit, she’d grown fond of some of her students, and wanted them to do well. Caring was exhausting. 

She’d been in a state of pure bliss; finally feeling relaxed for the first time in a week, when there was a scratching at the door and the insistent meowing of Sergio. The groan she’d heaved at being made to cut her bath short made her cringe in retrospect; if it hadn’t been for Sergio alerting her to the fire raging in the oven things could have been a lot worse. 

Of course, she couldn’t give him too much leeway; as she’d rushed about in her bathrobe in a panic, deliberating over whether to attempt to put out the fire, or just call 911, Sergio had strolled into the bathroom. Emily took one look at him, perched on the edge of the bath, before he swiftly swatted the still lit candle over. Of course it hadn’t fallen into the bath but onto the bathmat, catching another robe she had hanging on the way. 

She’d only hesitated for a second before scooping Sergio up into her arms and fleeing. Honestly, it was like the universe was set on burning down her apartment. And Sergio was in on it.

“Well, the main thing is you’re okay,” JJ said with a sincere smile. Despite everything Emily gave her one in return, pulling the blanket a fireman had given her tighter around herself.

“And our little prince.” Penelope leaned in and bopped his nose, which he didn’t look either pleased or aggravated by. 

They were interrupted by a fireman approaching them. His face didn’t instill much confidence.

“Miss Prentiss.”

“Don’t gloss it over, just give it to me straight, how bad is it?”

The fireman had a look of a doctor telling a patient bad news. “The damage to the kitchen and the bathroom is extensive, which – given their functions, all the electrical sockets – is going to take a while to fix.”

“Perfect, thank you,” Emily gave him a sarcastic smile. 

The fireman looked to the others, a bit taken aback by her response. “Well, I’m afraid you’ll have to find somewhere else to stay. It could be at least a month before the place is habitable again.”

Emily barked out a hollow laugh. The fireman decided it was time to leave and offered one last uneasy apology. 

“Well that’s all my money going towards a hotel for god knows how long,” Emily grumbled, giving Sergio a noncommittal pet. She tilted his face up to meet hers. “Are you happy now we’re homeless?” A bored meow was his answer.

“Oh don’t be silly,” Penelope squeezed her shoulder, shaking her head.

“What?”

Penelope gave her a smile when she turned to face her. “My dear sweet Emily, when are you going to learn?”

* * *

An hour later Emily found herself stood in JJ and Penelope’s bathroom, getting an extensive explanation of how the shower worked.

“It can be a bitch sometimes in the morning, if it’s running cold just wait for a minute or so, it should heat up. And if not, well, cold showers every now and again are good for your health! I’m sure I heard Spencer say that once.”

Emily nodded with what she hoped was a smile. It wasn’t exactly the power shower she’d had at her apartment, but it was certainly better than staying at a hotel. In fact, she’d been overwhelmed when Penelope had invited her to stay, not even knowing how long it would be. Correction, she’d simply assumed Emily would be staying with them. Just like Spencer telling her what time to be round for thanksgiving; it was simply a given to them that Emily was part of their life. 

“You can set your stuff up here,” Penelope instructed happily as she cleared a space for Emily’s toiletries by the sink. She was like a kid who was having her first sleepover, bubbling over with excitement. 

Emily smiled a thank you and collected her small bag of toiletries. The firemen had allowed her to collect a handful of things once they’d ensured the apartment was safe to enter. Emily almost wished she’d just left everything, picked some new things up at a store. Walking into the apartment post fire wasn’t her finest hour. Seeing the charred kitchen and bathroom felt like a metaphor for her life. 

Apart from the basic living essentials, she’d made sure to grab her Walkman. Part of her still thought of it as JJ’s, she had to remind herself it was her own, which she felt less familiar with after all these years. Still, it was close enough that she couldn’t bear to be apart from it. 

They’d insisted on picking coffee up for Emily before they headed home, seeing how shaken up she was. Really she should have had something a bit more soothing, like tea, but she assured them coffee was what she needed. She hadn’t had any in hours and felt the deprivation kicking in. Once they’d arrived back at Penelope and JJ’s apartment, Penelope had heated up some leftovers they had from the night before while JJ just sat with her in the longue. Sergio immediately jumped into her lap, which Penelope clocked onto, of course. 

“He really likes you huh?” she observed, eyes narrowing slightly.

JJ laughed, trying to sound casual. “Oh he’s a sweetheart really.”

Penelope wasn’t convinced. As much as she tried to get Sergio’s attention, he only had eyes for JJ – clearly a sign of the extra time she’d spent at Emily’s apartment the past few weeks. Emily couldn’t even be jealous, watching the way Sergio curled into JJ’s lap, and how she stroked along his back gently. He had good taste.

They’d silently agreed on a quiet night, the others leaving them be once they’d helped carry more of Emily’s things into the apartment - although there wasn’t much of it. It should have made her feel worse than it did. Her duffle bag of clothes sat beside the couch as they settled in to watch some crappy TV before bed. Emily was so exhausted after the events of the night that she found her eyes glazing over, only jolting upright when Penelope laughed particularly loudly at something. It was this exhaustion mixed with the undeniable cozy atmosphere, with the smell of home cooking still lingering, which had Penelope and JJ insisting she go to sleep at 9pm. 

“No, no I don’t want to ruin your night, you guys keep watching,” Emily insisted, determined not to be any sort of burden. 

“Honey you’re one step away from drooling,” Penelope pointed out, “And as cute a sight that would be for me, I think you’d rather avoid it. Now come on, bed time!”

Too tired to argue, Emily watched as they switched the TV off, and cleared away their mugs, leaving them by the sink to be dealt with in the morning. Sergio had gotten the memo an hour ago, already making his bed on one of the big armchairs, engulfed in an impossibly soft looking blanket. Emily settled herself on the couch, too tired to even get changed into pyjamas. Penelope assured her it would be no trouble if she wanted to share her bed, but she responded that she really was too tired to move. She seemed to accept this.

“You get some rest,” Penelope said softly. She rearranged the blanket over her, ensuring she was suitably covered.

“You going to read me a bedtime story?” Emily half snorted, voice groggy.

“For you, anything,” Penelope winked, but left her be with one final pat on her leg. Emily just saw JJ’s soft smile by her bedroom door before the lights were turned off.

As Emily lay there on the comfiest couch in the world, letting herself sink into it and a peaceful sleep, she could hear the distant sounds of New York City at night, the taxicabs and partygoers, all blending into a familiar sound that had become something of a lullaby to her. She wasn’t sure she would be able to fall asleep without it now - even imagining the silence was eerie. If she concentrated she could just hear the barely there snores from Sergio on the armchair, who seemed perfectly content with their new living situation. Almost like he’d orchestrated it. Emily tried to shake off the thought that her cat was plotting to kill her, eventually letting sleep claim her. Peace, at last. 

* * *

JJ had almost forgotten the events of last night in her morning daze. Which was why the image of Emily sleeping soundly on their couch when she departed her room was so jarring. Really, it would have been anyway. She paused by her door for a moment, taking in the sight. She looked so peaceful in her sleep, mouth hanging slightly open, face soft and free of worry, arm thrown out over the side. She checked the clock hanging in the kitchen - still only just past 8, and on a Saturday. Emily deserved a lie in. Resolving to let her have just that, JJ did her best to tip toe past her to the kitchen. 

Sergio, obviously having his sixth sense kick in, perked up and met her eyes instantly. She put one finger to her lips, motioning to Emily – as if a cat could understand her. The worst thing was, JJ was almost certain he could, with the way he looked back and forth between the two women before letting out an almighty meow. JJ sighed.

Emily heaved a massive groan. “Sergio it’s too early for breakfast, put a sock in it, you little bastard.” The words were muffled; her head still face down into the couch.

JJ stifled a giggle. Emily whipped her head up at the sound, eyes widening when she too remembered the events of last night.

“Oh, good morning.”

“Morning,” JJ smiled.

Emily groaned again as she pulled herself up, rolling out her neck. She winced.

“Sleep okay?” JJ asked, now concerned.

Emily continued to roll out her neck, blinking like she was trying to decide that herself. “Your couch is heavenly to sit on but maybe more of a pain on my neck to sleep on,” Emily admitted, trying to massage the back of her neck.

JJ’s face fell. “I’m sorry, I’m sure Pen’s offer to share with her still stands.”

Emily shook her head adamantly before remembering the pain, and flinched. “No, don’t be silly, I’ll just adjust my position.”

JJ nodded slowly, not convinced as she watched Emily’s face contort. She decided it was best to leave it, and made her way towards the kitchen. A quick assess of the cabinets made it clear they were out of cereal – clearly Penelope had had some more late night gaming sessions which always seemed to make her peckish for cereal. JJ sighed, resigning herself to making something more substantial. 

“I’m making scrambled eggs, do you want some?”

Emily was still battling with her neck, but managed to nod. “That would be great, thank you.” She offered her a smile, and JJ got to work.

“White or brown bread?” she asked, praying they weren’t out of that as well.

“White,” Emily replied, heaving herself up. 

JJ smirked. “I could lecture you on the benefits of switching to brown, but seeing as your apartment just burned down I’ll give you a break.”

“I appreciate that, thank you.” Emily gave her a dry smile. 

She was still dressed in her clothes from last night, not having had the energy to change. JJ didn’t bother pointing out that that wouldn’t have helped her sleep either, she was sure Emily was well aware of that already. As she continued her search for food she all but did an air punch when she opened the fridge.

“We still have bacon, do you want some too?”

Emily all but moaned which JJ took as a yes. She was leaning against a chair at the kitchen table, still not looking too comfortable.

“You can go freshen up if you want, I’ve got this covered,” JJ offered, rummaging in the cupboards for a frying pan.

“Oh cause I’m so untrustworthy in a kitchen?” she joked. 

JJ just gave her a look and she relented. “Yeah okay.” She trudged herself back over to her duffel bag.

“Is it okay if I have a shower?” she asked, “I think I’m in dire need of one, more to just wash off last night.”

JJ laughed lightly. “Of course, you don’t need to ask.”

Emily just gave her a shy smile before collecting some things and disappearing through the bathroom door. 

10 minutes later JJ was laying out two steaming plates of scrambled eggs and bacon on toast. She would have made Penelope some too but it would just go cold. Emily opened the bathroom door almost on cue, steam from the shower billowing around her. JJ tried not to drop the plates.

She was wrapped in a pink towel – one of Penelope’s – which left her shoulders and collarbones bare, smooth pale skin on display and leaving little to the imagination – not that JJ had imagined Emily before. She was toweling off her hair, which while wet, was slicked back and left her forehead without her signature fringe. All of this combined left Emily looking as bare as JJ had ever seen her. It was striking, and it made her stomach turn. Emily looked up, catching her staring. 

“Sorry,” she apologised, “I still need to dry my hair.” 

“You can borrow my hairdryer, it’s in my room. But breakfast’s ready,” JJ said, hoping she wasn’t spluttering, “It’ll get cold.”

Emily hesitated for a moment, looking down at her attire. “I’ll just go put a robe on.”

JJ bit her lip as she set down the plates. _It’s a bad thing that Emily’s apartment burned down. It’s a bad thing that Emily’s apartment burned down._ She repeated these words in her head until she came close to believing them. 

Emily returned a minute later, still looking very distracting in her own black robe. Honestly was that silk?? JJ tried her best to focus on the food in front of her, which she had to admit, was delicious.

“This is nice,” she said, taking a sip of orange juice. “I don’t usually have company for breakfast.”

Emily chuckled, setting down her knife and fork. “It’s overrated.” She motioned down to Sergio who was sitting by her feet, clearly waiting for her to drop a piece of bacon. 

“You’ve had your breakfast,” Emily tried to communicate with him, but he just stared at her. 

“Good thing Penelope had the hindsight to stop by that shop for cat food,” Emily said, shaking her head. “Sergio would not thank me if he’d woken up to an empty bowl this morning.”

“You had a lot on your mind,” JJ pointed out. 

Emily laughed. “Yeah, well it must be some kind of sign from the universe right? My apartment burning down from not one, but two causes.” 

She glared down at Sergio and JJ thought it wise not to ask. Emily sighed, leaning back in her chair. JJ averted her gaze; the way the robe fell to expose her neck making her face flush.

“I mean, it’s kind of like a cleanse, right?” Emily continued, completely oblivious to the effect she was having on JJ.

JJ snapped out of her trance at her words. “Your apartment burning down is a cleanse?”

Emily shrugged. “Well, I’ve got to find some silver lining in all this.”

_I can think of a few,_ JJ thought. 

“At least it didn’t spread to Mrs. Jenkins’ apartment,” Emily said, a distant look in her eye.

“Your next door neighbor?”

Emily nodded, a small smile appearing. “Yeah, she’s sweet. Her husband died a couple of years ago, I don’t see her out much, but she’s always nice to me when I do see her. Pretty out of it a lot of the time though, I’m not even sure she would have noticed anything.”

“Well here’s to Mrs. Jenkins.” JJ lifted up her glass and clinked it with Emily’s. They both laughed at the ridiculousness of the situation.

“So aren’t you usually out for a run by now?” Emily pointed out, digging back into her eggs.

JJ hummed. “I suppose so, I don’t run every day.”

Emily gave her a look that said she didn’t believe her. “Well anyway, won’t Matt and Kate still be expecting us?”

JJ shook her head. “No, Derek called them last night to explain what happened, they can manage without us for one week.”

Emily couldn’t muster the energy to pretend to be disappointed; she still felt weary – not really the best state to be in to entertain kids. 

“So where does that leave us on this fine Saturday?” Emily motioned to the pink blue sky outside, the sun still not fully risen. 

JJ looked to the fridge. “Well it’s not exactly exciting but we do really need groceries.”

Emily nodded and raised her glass again. “Grocery shopping it is.” She rose from her seat, taking her empty plate and glass with her to the sink. 

“I need a coffee before I go anywhere though. Do you at least trust me to make you tea?” She threw a smirk over her shoulder.

JJ laughed. “That, I do trust you to do.” 

Once the kettle had boiled and the tea given enough time to stew, she didn’t even need to say anything before Emily poured in just more than a spot of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar. 

* * *

“If I’d known your usual sugar intake I’d have thrown some over your eggs,” JJ teased as Emily threw in some kids cereal with questionably high sugar content. 

Emily just shrugged. “I need some energy in the morning.”

“Right.” JJ shook her head, smiling as she continued to push their trolley down the aisle. 

She’d already thrown in Penelope’s favourite cereal and some Weetabix for her. She felt like she was shopping for two kids. Oh, and of course they’d picked up what had to be a mountain of Sergio’s food. JJ tried not to think about the implications of buying so much; none of them knew for sure how long this arrangement was going to last. Honestly, she wasn’t sure she’d make it through the week; JJ had had a quick shower before they’d left for the shop and she could have sworn she’d caught Emily staring at her. Did she feel an attraction to her too? Or was it just wishful thinking?

JJ’s thought was cut short as Emily reached for a multi pack of Cheetos and threw them into the trolley without even sparing her a look. 

* * *

As they climbed the last flight of stairs to the apartment, they could hear upbeat music playing from behind the door. 

JJ laughed. “Well Pen’s up.”

She swung open the door and they were met by the sight of Penelope dancing around the kitchen in her pyjamas, _Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go_ blaring from the stereo. She froze when she saw them enter, and a scowl replaced her previously joyous expression. She laid a hand on her hip for good measure, eyebrow raised.

“Been having fun without me have you?” she asked, nose tipped up towards the ceiling.

JJ chuckled, setting the shopping onto the kitchen table. “Oh yeah we were having a real rave at the grocery store.”

Penelope narrowed her eyes, looking between her and Emily suspiciously. When JJ removed a box of Lucky Charms from one of the bags and passed it to her she broke out into a grin. 

“How many times do I tell you I love you?” she said, the subject dropped. 

“One more can’t hurt,” JJ replied.

“Well I love you.” Penelope gave her a kiss on the cheek and proceeded to help her clear away the rest of the shopping. Sergio trotted over from his place on the chair he’d claimed as his own and leaped up onto the table, sniffing around to locate his food.

“I take it breakfast was made by JJ given the apartment is still standing?”

Emily rolled her eyes. “Ha ha.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll stop now,” Penelope surrendered as she stocked the fridge with more milk. “Did you sleep okay?”

“Yeah great, thank you.” Emily gave her a convincing smile. 

JJ shot her a look but she discretely waved her off once Penelope’s back turned again. She didn’t want to be a burden. She was quick to also offer help putting away the shopping, taking the bags of fruit and placing them in the bowl on the table. 

“I’m surprised I wasn’t woken up by Derek waltzing in, honestly,” she said to them. 

JJ sighed. “Yeah, well he and Spencer agreed to give you some peace, would be nice if they could stick to that all the time.”

After they’d cleared the shopping, Penelope excused herself to shower.

“You know what,” JJ said resolutely, hands on hips, “I really should do some laundry, I’ve been putting it off for days.”

“If I knew your weekends were this wild I would’ve moved in a month ago,” Emily joked. 

JJ gave her a fake look of disdain. “You want me to throw in your clothes from last night?”

Emily shrugged. “Yeah why not. I’ll come with, if I’m going to be here a while I should know how these things work.”

JJ laughed. “Such an adventure today is turning out to be.” 

She walked up to the bathroom door and shouted to be heard over the spray of the shower. “Hey Pen, we’re doing some laundry, you want your stuff thrown in too?”

A muffled sound came back which JJ translated as a ‘yes’ and something about being domestic. 

* * *  
“This is sadistic.”

“It’s a washing machine, Emily.”

She waved her hand in a gesture to the room. “No, I just mean this whole place. The waiting for a machine and having people lurking behind you like vultures to steal it the second your back’s turned.”

JJ shrugged. “Shouldn’t have turned your back. Haven’t you done laundry before?” She smiled at her with a twinkle in her eye so Emily knew she was teasing.

“Yes.” Emily felt the need to clarify anyway. “When I’ve had my own machine at home. As long as I’ve been in my apartment here I just take everything to the drycleaners.”

JJ shook her head with a laugh that said _of course you do._ “Well this is the big leagues. Think of it like the wild. Kill or be killed.”

Emily laughed but took an uneasy look around the room. JJ pulled her phone out and proceeded to slide down onto the floor. Emily looked down at her like she’d lost her mind. 

“What are you doing?”

JJ shrugged. “We’ll be waiting a bit longer, may as well take a seat.” 

She spread her arms out as if it was a VIP lounge and not a filthy laundry room. Emily hesitantly joined her, crossing her legs. 

“Hey, have you heard of rate my professor?” JJ asked, swiping through her phone.

“Oh no, I’m not getting into that.”

JJ all but giggled. “I promise I’ll filter out any bad comments. Only 5 star reviews.”

Emily snorted. “Yeah, how many of them are there likely to be.”

As it turned out, there were plenty. Ranging from _'always has interesting classes'_ to _'quick to offer help'_ to _'the best teacher I’ve ever had.'_ Emily had to turn her head away from fear she’d start tearing up on the floor of a dirty laundry room. 

They didn’t have to wait long for a free machine, JJ hoisting the basket up to rest on her hip. She paused and turned to Emily.

“You have a quarter?”

The look of horror on Emily’s face, thinking they’d have to go all the way back up and lose their machine, was worth it when JJ laughed and pulled out her own bag of quarters. 

Emily shook her head. “Sadistic.” 

* * *

The next week passed by in a haze of what Emily could only describe as bliss - domestic bliss to be more specific. At work, they all ate lunch together at their usual table, met up at Central Perk afterwards, opted for a stroll around the park if it was a nice enough day. Everything went on as normal – except Emily came home to a different apartment at the end of the day. To JJ and Penelope. 

Despite the short time she’d been living with them, it felt like she’d been their roommate for years. They fell into a natural rhythm, JJ always the first to wake up, who would, as much as she tried not to, wake up Emily shortly after – or rather Sergio would. Emily couldn’t say she minded; it was nice, to have that time in the morning just her and JJ. The sky was still a mellow dark blue and their world inside the apartment - despite the hustle and bustle outside - felt peaceful. They usually just had cereal but JJ sometimes made them something more extravagant. The day they made pancakes was particularly messy. Emily always made their tea and coffee. 

A couple of days in Derek had deemed it an appropriate amount of time to have given her peace, and returned to his usual routine of waltzing into the apartment unannounced. It made her jump the first few times but she soon got used to it - had even learned to pick out his specific footsteps and Spencer’s lighter ones following close behind. She wouldn’t admit it, but it was nice having them around more too. 

Exam season was well and truly under way, and Emily was inundated with emails (a great deal of which were enquiring the exact contents of the exam, which she simply deleted). She thought she’d have trouble concentrating with her friends there, especially seeing how much Penelope liked to sing and dance in the morning. But she found it rather comforting. It was nice to just have them there while she worked, typing away at her keyboard while JJ turned a page of her book curled up on the sofa with Sergio, and Penelope played online games (although there were a few times she was banished to her room by JJ when her swearing got too loud). 

What was distracting was the newfound close proximity to JJ. She’d almost walked in on her in the shower one Wednesday morning when she was in a hurry, and nearly bolted out the apartment. JJ had just smiled as she eased past her, her exposed collarbones and the smell of her shampoo sending Emily into a frenzy. She’d had her earphones in one evening while she worked, and JJ had to softly touch her shoulder to get her attention. Emily jumped, nearly knocking over her empty mug as JJ just laughed and asked if she wanted a refill. Emily offered a small ‘yes thank you’ while turning back to her screen. The song playing had been _Temptation,_ almost like her music was taunting her. She found herself both wishing for and dreading the day her apartment was safe to return to. 

* * *

JJ couldn’t sleep. Again. She’d looked up for what had to be the hundredth time how long a burned down apartment took to fix. The results were inconclusive. 

Tonight’s specific worry was if Emily had noticed the way her eyes had darted too far down when she’d bumped into her coming out the bathroom post shower that evening. Emily usually preferred to shower at night, she’d discovered, which made things a little bit easier for their schedules. She guessed she’d prefer a bath but didn’t want to grant herself such luxuries while staying with them. Which she would have told her was silly, but she also thought it was sweet how accommodating she was being. 

On days when JJ ran in the morning she was always greeted by a steaming cup of tea on her return – of course, timed perfectly for her arrival and just the right shade. As much as the whole situation was losing her sleep, she found herself hoping Emily’s apartment never got fixed. Which was awful, and she chastened herself every time she had the thought.

She heaved a sigh, rolling herself over. She’d learned from the past week that lying staring at the wall all night wouldn’t do her any good, so opted to make herself a cup of tea. Chamomile. Yes, that would fix everything. 

Creaking the door open, her eyes immediately landed onto the couch where Emily was sleeping. Or rather, should have been sleeping. She frowned and dropped her concern of being as quiet as possible, taking a purposeful step forward, eyes darting around the dark room. A second later she heard the familiar flush of the toilet. Her shoulders dropped in relief. What did she think? That Emily had just up and left in the middle of the night? She wasn’t sure.

The bathroom door squeaked open and a groggy Emily blinked up at her, dazed. JJ couldn’t hide the smile on her face. Sleepy Emily in pyjamas was proving to be her favourite Emily. She held back a laugh as Sergio trotted out behind her. 

“Your shadow couldn’t bare to part from you I see.” She lowered her voice so not to wake Penelope, though she was the deepest sleeper in the world. 

Emily rolled her eyes. “He’s so hot and cold I can’t keep up. Probably thought he was getting fed.” She waved her hand towards the open door. “All yours.”

JJ ducked her head. “Oh no, I just came to make some tea.”

Emily arched an eyebrow. “At 3am?”

JJ shrugged as she padded over towards the kitchen. “I couldn’t sleep.”

Emily nodded in understanding, moving to a seat at the kitchen table instead of the couch. “Yeah, me either.”

JJ shot her a look over her shoulder. When she saw Emily rolling out her neck like the first morning after she stayed, she frowned. “Emily you can’t keep sleeping on that couch if it’s so hard on your neck.”

Emily stiffly shook her head. “It’s nothing, really.”

JJ sighed as she flicked on the kettle. “I’m probably not going to get any sleep anyway, one of us might as well get some.”

She didn’t miss the subtle widening of Emily’s eyes at her last words. Still, she held her ground, folding her arms to show she wasn’t taking no for an answer. 

“Emily, I cannot let you sleep on that couch another night. You’ll be teaching lectures with a bent neck.”

Emily groaned, dropping her hand by her lap. “Fine, I’ll ask Penelope in the morning if I can still share with her.”

_Don’t do it Jareau. Don’t. Do. It._

“You shouldn’t have to wait until morning.” 

It was like when she’d first ran into Emily again when she spilled her tea, unable to stop herself. Like she was watching someone else speak while she screamed from above. 

“You can share with me.”

* * *

She’d fallen asleep already and this was a dream. This had to be a dream, right? 

Emily lay stiff as a board watching JJ’s back, and the gentle rise and fall of her body. She couldn’t tell if she was really asleep or not. If she were to turn around at that very moment she’d see Emily staring at her like a deer caught in headlights. 

_This can’t be happening._ But she could smell JJ’s perfume, the sweet vanilla so strong it felt like it was wrapped around her. She breathed it in, and felt entirely light-headed. 

How did she end up here? In JJ’s bed, yes, but also just here in general. With friends who’d taken her in in her time of need without a second thought. Real friends. 

She rolled over onto her back, careful not to dip the bed too much. The blank white ceiling stared back at her, and she tried to achieve the same effect in her mind. To clear it, no thoughts, just sleep. She’d never been very good at meditation. Whenever she couldn’t sleep before she’d do a crossword, or read the news, or listen to her Walkman – _JJ’s Walkman._ Who was mere inches away from her. God. 

She wasn’t sure when she fell asleep, but exhaustion must have won out in the end. She wished it hadn’t. 

* * *

JJ bolted upright, eyes wide and body alert. Her alarm hadn’t woken her up. It was still dark outside; it couldn’t be morning yet. No, what had woken her up had been screaming – terrible anguished screaming. 

It was Emily. 

On the other side of the bed Emily was thrashing around on the sheets, clawing at the duvet like it was trying to smother her. Her eyes were squeezed shut but she was clearly seeing something behind them. Something horrific.

“No, get back, stop!” her voice was hoarse and the pain behind it made JJ’s heart ache. 

“Emily,” she tried tentatively, sitting up onto her knees, “Emily you’re having a nightmare.”

“I won’t let you!” 

“Emily, it’s JJ.” But she couldn’t hear her.

“Go, it’s not safe! Run!”

Penelope must have only been sleeping through this because of the earplugs she wore to bed. Still, she couldn’t let her go on like this. She had to wake her up. 

Steeling herself, she lifted a hand and slowly reached out. She held her breath when she touched Emily’s shoulder, feeling how cold she was through the thin material of her top. She continued to thrash, shaking her head back and forth. JJ took another breath and gently shook her shoulder. 

“Emily, wake up, it’s JJ.”

Emily froze. Her eyes snapped open and JJ shot her hand back, not wanting to frighten her. Emily blinked, trying to untangle her surroundings.

“JJ?” her voice was still hoarse.

“You were having a nightmare,” she said in as soft a voice as she could muster.

Emily slumped back, her head falling into her hands. “Oh god, JJ I’m so sorry.” She snapped her head back up and looked to JJ, eyes wide with concern. “Are you okay?”

JJ nodded her head rapidly, shifting closer. “I’m fine, don’t worry about me, are you okay?”

Emily let out a breath of relief and hung her head again. “I’m sorry.”

She was completely crestfallen. And she couldn’t stop apologizing. Considering her for a moment, JJ reached her hand out. When Emily didn’t move away, she gently tipped her head up by her chin. She was met with wet brown eyes.

“Emily, don’t be sorry. It’s okay, I’m here for you.”

Her heart tugged in an entirely different way when Emily’s mouth quirked up into the smallest of smiles. JJ returned it and gently swiped a tear away from her cheek. She let her hand fall into Emily’s lap and laid it out face up. Emily got the message and slowly entwined it with her own. JJ squeezed softly. Just like she had on the rickshaw. And when the lights had cut. She was taken aback when Emily squeezed back tighter, like she didn’t want to let go.

“Do you want to talk about it?” JJ asked, uncertain.

Emily shook her head. JJ was ready to drop the subject when she spoke again. “I get these… Nightmares sometimes. It’s not anything new.”

JJ nodded, letting her continue. 

“I don’t usually have someone next to me to get caught in the crossfire.”

JJ shook her head again, squeezing her hand tighter. “Emily, it’s okay. Just, tell me what you need.”

Emily took a moment before lifting her head and meeting her eyes again. She opened her mouth to say something when there was a scratching at the door. They both nearly laughed at the timing. 

“I think someone wants to check on you,” JJ smiled, hoping she was lightening the mood.

Emily managed to roll her eyes and JJ saw the terror that had been present moments before disappear. “He just can’t bare to miss out on anything.”

JJ looked to the door and back at Emily. “Should I let him in?”

Emily moved her head from side to side like she was debating the decision. One thing was certain; there was no kink in her neck anymore. 

“Yeah I guess so. He’ll just batter the door down anyway.”

JJ let out a quiet laugh. Then she looked down at their hands. Emily did the same, before seeming to panic and letting go. JJ offered her another smile, trying not to feel disappointed. Emily’s hands had been so cold, but she still felt the absence of warmth when she’d let go. 

“Good evening Sergio,” she whispered in greeting as she opened the door for the cat. 

He simply meowed up at her before trotting in, like it was his right. He leaped up onto the bed and promptly snuggled himself in next to Emily’s head - correction, on Emily’s head. JJ held a hand over her mouth, trying to suppress the full belly laugh at seeing Emily splutter around Sergio’s tail.

“G’t’ff,” she bit out, coughing.

“He loves you,” JJ said, leaving the door agar so Sergio could get out if needed.

She returned to her side of the bed, trying to pull the covers over herself without disturbing Sergio. When he noticed another warm body he repositioned himself so that he was curled in-between them in the middle of the bed - just where he belonged. JJ stroked over his fur as she sank further into her pillow. She watched Sergio’s eyes close, and he let out a content purr. 

Pausing, she looked over him towards Emily, where her eyes were already locked with hers. She didn’t need to say anything to hear the silent thank you in them. She sent back her own reply with a smile. Simultaneously, they both settled into the bed. But they didn’t turn away like before. Now they were facing each other, Sergio snuggled in between them, a perfect fit. JJ waited until she heard the telltale signs of a sleeping Emily, the gentle breaths lulling her into her own peaceful sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I very nearly named this chapter 'the one where they share a bed' but I wanted to keep it as a surprise :) Also, wow this chapter really got away from me lol, which led to the perspectives also being a bit all over the place. I didn't intent to spend so much time on JJ's POV but that's just what happened naturally so that was a nice surprise! Considering splitting the next chapter into two... we'll see how it goes. 
> 
> songs:
> 
> Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go - Wham!  
> Temptation - New Order


	15. the one that's very festive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither Emily or JJ can deny it any longer, Christmas is coming. And today might also be a special day for another reason...

Emily blinked her eyes open slowly, sensing the light behind them. The orange curtains over the window were drawn, but unlike Emily’s blackout ones, didn’t entirely block out the light. This had granted a rather pleasant effect; sunlight fighting to pass through the fabric, and descending the room in a soft orange glow. There were still the distant sounds of the city waking up, but the space felt perfectly still, tucked away in its own hazy haven. Emily felt a smile tug at her lips. She _felt heavenly._ Which was odd; she never felt good in the mornings. 

It was then that she realised how warm she felt – not overwhelmingly so, but just right, warmth that her body so often longed for. Then came the last of her slow realizations that morning – the source of the warmth. 

Her head wasn’t rested on the soft material of what she’d thought to be a pillow, but over a slowly rising and falling chest. With blonde hair falling above her like a waterfall. Then she felt the strong arm wrapped around her waist. And she noticed her own hand rested on her chest. JJ’s chest. JJ’s warm body.

Her eyes widened, now fully awake and in a panic. Last night – or rather earlier that morning, came back to her all at once: the screaming, the fear, the pain, the blood, the crying. And then the gentle touches, the soothing reassurances, those blue eyes looking at her like nobody ever had. Like she wanted to take all that pain away. 

Emily felt her cheeks redden as embarrassment took over. Nobody had ever seen her having one of her nightmares, or rather night terrors, bar her mother and a series of doctors. Of course the first time she had one around anyone else it would be when JJ was sleeping next to her. JJ, next to her. Currently with her arm wrapped tightly around her. She still couldn’t believe it. 

For a brief moment she considered moving to the other side of the bed – where had Sergio ran off to anyway? – but JJ’s grip on her was too tight, her unconsciousness clearly unwilling to let go. Emily told herself she would have automatically wrapped herself around anyone, but she couldn’t deny the pure bliss she felt in that moment. Obviously not getting out of the situation, she let herself feel it, the unwavering comfort and safety that was being in JJ’s arms. 

She rested her head back onto JJ’s chest, listening to the soothing breaths. She blinked again, slowly. She saw a heart shaped necklace hanging from the bedside lamp, twinkling in the light, casting patterns onto a butterfly jewelry box. And next to it was an alarm clock, displaying the day’s date: _18th December._ Emily nearly laughed. The last thing she felt was a smile, before gently falling back asleep. 

* * *

JJ was woken up by screaming. Which was apparently becoming a habit. At first she thought Emily was having another nightmare, so of course, she was seized by panic. But then she heard the noise again. It was too distant, coming through the wall, and now she realised, more like shouting rather than screaming. 

“Snow! It’s snowing! Snow!” Penelope. The glee in her voice was undeniable now. JJ smiled.

She blinked her eyes open, widening them in her groggy half awake state. Then she realised her rather precarious position. She looked down to find Emily’s head nestled into the crook of her neck. Her heart completely melted. Emily’s face was even softer than it had looked the morning she’d first seen her on the couch – entirely free of any frowns, she swore she could even see a slight smile in her sleep. She hoped she was having good dreams; she deserved it. Really, JJ thought Emily deserved all the good things in the world. 

Nearly having forgotten the reason for her being woken up, she stiffened as she heard the obvious sound of Penelope’s bedroom door slamming shut. She was out in the lounge, and JJ’s head snapped to the door, seeing it still cracked open. She found herself wishing Sergio had somehow closed it himself on his way out, though the thought was ridiculous. Panicking as she heard Penelope’s footsteps advancing, she yanked herself up. Which resulted in not only waking Emily but also propelling her off the bed. 

_“Fuck!”_ she exclaimed. Whatever good dream she’d been having she’d well and truly been torn out of it.

“Sorry!” JJ called over in a hushed voice. Which was silly, Penelope would have noticed by now that Emily wasn’t on the couch. And it was extremely unlikely that she would have woken before JJ, and – what? Gone for a walk? No, Penelope wouldn’t buy it.

Emily groaned as she rolled over, holding her head.

“Are you okay?” JJ was concerned now, crawling over to peer over the bed.

“Well that was a wake-up call,” Emily laughed. And JJ relaxed. It appeared she hadn’t concussed her. 

Emily didn’t have any time to get herself up from the floor when Penelope came crashing into the room.

“JJ, it’s snow - ” The word caught in her throat, her feet freezing in the doorway. Her head snapped between JJ and Emily (clearly just having fallen onto the floor, still rubbing her head). A second later a grin rivaling the Cheshire cat’s broke out across her face.

“Well, what do we have here?”

“Pen,” JJ started, but she just lifted a hand. 

“No need to explain.” Her eyes sparkled. “I’ll leave you two to wake up properly.” She winked at JJ before twirling around and closing the door behind her. 

Emily was clearly still disorientated from her fall, squinting up at the closed door. “Was that Penelope?”

JJ sighed and fell back against the headboard. 

When they eventually collected themselves, avoiding eye contact as much as possible, they wandered out into the longue. To find Derek and Spencer by the window with Penelope, both still clad in their pyjamas. At least Derek was wearing a shirt this time. Thankfully their attention was held by the sight outside, and not Emily and JJ’s disheveled appearance as they both departed JJ’s room. 

“Oh, snow,” Emily said, as if she’d only just deciphered what Penelope had been raving about.

A smile graced JJ’s features, and she padded forward, feet cold on the wooden floor. Derek and Spencer whirled around, only just noticing their presence. Derek spared them a beaming grin before turning back to the window. Spencer did the same, wearing his best look of kidlike wonder. His hair was even more of a mess than usual, clearly having just rolled out of bed. 

JJ couldn’t help but also be lured in by the sight outside. They’d been granted a few flurries of snowflakes the past few weeks, but this was the real deal. Snow showered the street outside, covering cars and laying a blanket of perfect white over the pavements, footprints signifying the early risers who’d already braced the cold. The first real snow of the year was always beautiful. 

“Wow.” JJ turned to see Emily standing beside her, eyes rapt on the sight. JJ smiled at the way her jaw dropped ever so slightly.

Then Penelope caught her eye, giving her the imploring look that JJ knew to mean one thing: _you, me, talking, later._

For those precious few moments she let herself enjoy the snowfall. 

* * *

Emily couldn’t deny it any longer. Christmas was well and truly here. 

She’d managed to bury her head in the sand the past few weeks (really, New York thought it was Christmas as soon as thanksgiving dinner was off the table). She’d ignored all the decorations, the shop assistants wearing Santa hats and relentless Christmas music playing over the speakers, the tinsel and lights seeming to adorn every available surface. Because she had exams to distract herself with, she had a duty to her students, to be there for them during this stressful time. But that morning brought the last exams before winter break. There was no more hiding from the festivities – a fact that was made clear, in case she wasn’t already, when Penelope pulled a Santa hat over her head.

“What?!” Emily exclaimed at the unexpected accost. 

Penelope appeared in front of her grinning from ear to ear. 

“1.00pm,” she declared, holding up her watch for good measure, “Marks the end of exams and the official start of festivities!”

Emily rolled her eyes but unfortunately Penelope’s smile was infectious. She let her loop her arm with hers and lead her out of the building. 

She’d been overseeing the last exam that morning. Usually professors were only required to stay for the first 10 minutes of an exam, enough time for students to look over the paper and ask any questions they might have had – about format or the way a question was worded, Emily had reiterated, not the answers. Unfortunately one of the volunteer invigilators hadn’t turned up and Emily had offered to step in, seeing as she was already there. She had to hold herself back from giving Kayla a thumbs-up when she’d passed her and caught a look at her paper. 

“You’ve worked your little socks off, Emily,” Penelope relayed as they walked out into the snow-covered campus, “You deserve this break. Hell your apartment burned down!” 

Emily laughed. “Yes I hadn’t forgotten.” She pulled her red scarf out from her bag, wrapping it tightly around her neck. 

“Well I’m here to personally escort you to Central Perk for a well earned coffee.”

Emily smirked. “How chivalrous.” 

“How did Kayla get on?” Penelope asked. They’d caught sight of her briefly as the students streamed out the hall but her friends had quickly whisked her off. They couldn’t blame her; it was the end of a stressful time for her too.

Emily faked a gasp. “I couldn’t possibly say.” But a smile told her all she needed to know.

Penelope grinned as they walked down campus arm in arm. 

* * *

On entering the coffeehouse they were greeted by the sight of Rossi waltzing around the room, arms spread and singing in what could only be described as a jolly manner. 

“Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!” He sang along to the music as he whirled around, the Santa hat atop his head threatening to fall.

“I think someone’s had too much eggnog,” Emily whispered to Penelope.

She giggled as they hung their coats up and made their way to their designated couch. 

“Happy first snow!” Rossi greeted them as they sat down.

“You too,” Emily replied, looking confused.

“Officially off duty then?” Tara asked from her seat across from them. Spencer sat next to her, nursing a hefty cup of hot chocolate. They’d previously been discussing the third year psychology paper that had taken place that morning, theorizing which of their students would excel. 

Emily nodded and let out a sigh as she fell back into the couch. “It’s been a long week.”

“Seeing as you’re off duty,” Derek appeared from the counter and placed an eggnog in front of her. She took one whiff and screwed up her face. “I’ll stick to coffee thanks.”

Derek grinned. “More for me.”

There was a click as the bathroom door opened and JJ stepped out. Her eyes seem to catch Emily’s automatically. Just like the smile that Emily couldn’t help returning. She only just felt Penelope watching them from beside her. 

“Kayla get on okay?” she asked, taking her seat beside Tara. 

Emily almost laughed. They were all so predictable, but it was sweet. “Put it this way, I don’t think she’ll be taking summer school.”

“That’s our girl.” Derek leaned forward to give Emily a high five, which, after playing on his football team, she’d become used to begrudgingly accepting. 

Jordan didn’t take long to come to take their orders, her own Santa hat perched atop her head. Emily ordered her usual black coffee while Penelope asked for something called a gingerbread latté. She didn’t ask. 

“So have any festivities planned?” Rossi asked as he leaned his elbows on the counter. 

“Oh yes.” Penelope’s eyes sparkled. “We just came here to get fuelled up. Oh! And the most important order of business.” 

She rose from her seat and leaned over the counter, asking Jordan for a piece of paper and a bowl. She frowned but complied, ripping off a sheet from her notepad and handing over a small brown bowl. Penelope grinned.

“What’s this for?” Emily arched a brow.

Derek chuckled as Penelope shuffled back along, placing the bowl on the table and extracting a pink pen with a fluffy feather on the end from her jacket.

“Secret Santa,” Tara supplied. 

“Oh.” Emily continued to frown as Penelope finished writing and tore six little slips off. “People do that? Past the age of 12?”

Penelope brandished her pen at her, the pink feather bopping at her in a surprisingly threatening manner. Penelope scowled. “You better hope I don’t get you Prentiss.”

Emily held her hands up. “Didn’t say a thing.”

Penelope ceremoniously dropped each slip into the bowl and shook it about a few times. Then, one by one, they were passed it and chose a slip, Penelope reminding them _‘no peeking!’_

Emily was handed the bowl last and picked up the solitary slip that was left. She put on her best poker face as she read the name, but it was hard not to let her eyes fall on them; her eyes were always drawn to JJ.

* * *

JJ had held back a laugh when Rossi asked Penelope if they had any festivities planned. Of course she did. In fact she had a whole itinerary. Penelope always made the run up to Christmas fun, but JJ was particularly glad to have a jam-packed schedule today; maybe it meant Penelope wouldn’t find the time to interrogate her about Emily being in her bedroom that morning. But of course, she did. 

She’d managed to avoid her that morning by throwing out excuses of meeting with students in crisis, getting ready in a flash and leaving to sit in her office unoccupied for hours on end. Emily had left in a similar haste, although she had the viable excuse of overseeing the final first year French exam. 

JJ had been amusing herself with funny cat videos on YouTube when Penelope crashed into her office.

“Okay, I gave you three hours to get your story straight, out with it!”

She set herself down onto the couch usually reserved for students, giving her a pointed look. 

“You can’t just barge in here,” JJ hissed, “I could have had a student.”

Penelope snorted, moving her bag next to her. “Sweetheart, don’t even try it, I checked your schedule, and you’re free all day.”

When JJ had no comeback, Penelope patted the space beside her with a seemingly sweet smile. JJ groaned before dragging her heels towards the couch. Penelope was all but frothing at the mouth in excitement.

“Nothing happened,” JJ insisted.

Penelope just looked at her with an expression that said ‘yeah sure.’

“I’m serious!” JJ reiterated.

Penelope folded her arms, eyebrows raised in contention. “Oh yeah, and how did she end up in your bed? And don’t try to tell me she slept on the floor, it’s obvious she’d just tumbled out of it.” She shook her head, tutting. “Not very good bedside manner, JJ.”

JJ leaned her head back, groaning. She was getting a headache. “Look, she couldn’t sleep on that couch okay? It was killing her neck, I was just trying to help.”

Penelope’s smirk faded at that. “She never said.”

“Of course she didn’t,” JJ laughed, “Emily wouldn’t say or do anything that might make her seem like a burden.”

“Well that’s just silly! I offered her my bed!”

JJ shrugged. “That’s just how she is.” She tried not to smile at that.

But the smirk on Penelope’s face didn’t take long to return. “Seems like she was just waiting for a better offer, huh?”

JJ rolled her eyes. “I just happened to be up, it was easier than waking you.”

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.”

God, JJ was glad she hadn’t seen Emily cuddled up in her arms. Penelope’s heart wouldn’t have survived it. 

“So is this little arrangement continuing?”

JJ shrugged, hoping the way her heart was threatening to beat out her chest wasn’t too obvious. “I suppose so.”

“Hmmm.” 

JJ swatted her on the arm. “Are you satisfied now?” 

“I suppose, for now. Oh!” She suddenly turned and rummaged about in her bag. A second later JJ was handed a candy cane. “They were handing them out at reception.”

JJ accepted it with a smile, and despite her teasing, Penelope gave her a heartfelt one back. She also gave her hand a tight squeeze. There was no doubt about it; Penelope Garcia was definitely her favourite thing about Christmas. 

* * *

They weren’t short of choice for Christmas markets - which was at the top of Penelope’s festive itinerary for the day. It was Spencer who had chosen the one at Union Square Park that they were currently wandering around, claiming they had the best churros. This was something Clooney clearly also agreed with, as he tried to snatch one out of his hands. 

“I think you should’ve left him at home,” Emily said as she swerved, lifting her own out of his reach. 

Derek was appalled by the suggestion. “And miss out on his first Christmas market?” He shook his head, kneeling down to Clooney’s level. Thankfully he’d long since finished his own Churros. It didn’t stop Clooney from licking the leftover sugar on his fingers. 

“Hey, sugar is bad for dogs, remember?!” He berated. Clooney gave him his best puppy pout (though he was estimated to be somewhere between 3-5 years old). Still, it did the trick and Derek melted at the sight.

“Aw, come on it’s okay. How about we find you something to eat, huh?”

Clooney perked up at this, rubbing his fluffy face against his. He laughed and all but smushed his face into his. “That’s my babyboy.”

Penelope huffed above them, arms folded. JJ nudged her. “You’re still his babygirl,” she assured her, but she kept her head held high in indignation as she moved forward. 

“Someone’s jealous,” JJ laughed, falling into step next to Emily. 

She was still entranced by the kisses Derek was giving Clooney, nose scrunched up at the display. “She can have her fun when he catches something.” At least that was something she didn’t have to worry about with Sergio. He wasn’t huge on PDA.

Emily had forgotten just how busy New York got during Christmas. Union Square Park market seemed to be one of the most popular, with people everywhere you looked. She was surprised Penelope hadn’t made them all hold hands. Still, even as Emily dove forward to avoid getting knocked over by incoming kids running riot, she had to admit it was pleasant. 

It was like they’d been transported to a European Village, with travellers from all over the world setting up stalls to share their goods with passersby. The little huts were squeezed next to each other, but still managed to maintain their own unique quality: one wafting delectable scents of cinnamon buns, another displaying intricate handmaid quilts, another selling handmade soap. Everything was handmade. Even during the day lights twinkled along the awnings of each hut, beckoning people towards them. Emily had to admit; it all accumulated a somewhat magical effect. Even the Christmas music, which sounded from speakers all over, wasn’t too grating. 

Clooney soon got his wish when Derek led them to a stall selling gourmet looking hotdogs (though it was debatable who had done the leading). Derek was about to order him one when another dog barked form behind them. Correction – two other dogs. They all swiveled around to find Bonnie and Clyde bounding towards them, Matt and his wife Kristy holding on for dear life to their leads. 

“Looks like we had the same idea!” Derek laughed, trying not to let Clooney’s lead get tangled as he jumped to greet his friends. He was well acquainted with the two golden retrievers, having quickly become a hit the few times he’d visited the youth centre.

“More like their idea,” Kristy breathed, trying to haul Bonnie back who was now rolling onto her belly.

Matt laughed as Clyde danced around them. “Well, you know what they say, four’s a party.”

Derek frowned at him, looking to the dogs to confirm that there were in fact three. Almost on cue, a very lively German Shepard came flying towards them, head-butting straight into Penelope. She stumbled at the unexpected assault, catching Derek’s arm. 

Roxie barked gleefully, smiling up at her like head-butting was the perfect way to say hello. Penelope took a moment to steady herself before returning the greeting. “Well hello there pretty girl.”

“Roxie!” Luke came running after her, lead in hand. She just barked back at him.

“God guys, I’m sorry, she’s usually fine around crowds!” He kneeled down to attach her lead, which she didn’t look too pleased about.

Penelope seemed to stiffen at his arrival, flicking the hair out of her face in a reserved manner. “Not a problem,” she said, tone lacking her usual flare.

Emily narrowed her eyes and looked to JJ, who was beyond amused by the situation. Luke was giving Penelope an unreserved grin, clearly not hiding his own happiness at running into her. When she didn’t give back much in response, his face fell a little, but he swiftly turned to Derek.

“Well he seems to be getting on well,” he observed, watching as Clooney scarfed down his hotdog in no seconds flat. 

Derek nodded, taking on a professional stance. “Yeah he’s settled in really quickly.”

Luke smiled. “Glad to hear it.” He turned to Emily. “And how’s our favourite feline?”

Emily gave a low chuckle. “He’s just perfect. Burned down my apartment.”

Luke’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping. “Uhh…” he frowned and made to gesture with his hands, but was at a loss of what to say.

Tara patted him on the back. “He’s just fine, don’t worry. So, catch any fleas yet?” She led him off down the path, their age-old banter picking back up in a flash.

The nine of them made their way around the rest of the market, dogs weaving in and out of their legs. It wasn’t long before Spencer reached his sugar rush high, barreling off facts about the snow levels in New York (apparently its greatest was in 1966, at 50 inches), which led to him being cut off. Emily wasn’t sure how a person could consume so much sugar. Sure, she liked that kick in the morning with her cereal, but there was a limit. In fact, Penelope had been badgering her to try one of the many festive drinks on offer, but she stuck to her black coffee. It was only when they passed by one particular stall, wafting the enticing smell of cinnamon that Penelope noticed Emily’s hesitation. 

“Ha! You’re intrigued!” She pointed accusingly. 

Emily rolled her eyes, but was swiftly dragged towards the stall. 

“One maple cinnamon latté for the lady please,” Penelope announced, slapping money onto the wooden counter. 

“Penelope, there’s no need - ” 

“Well I’ve bought it now, are you going to be so rude as to not even try it?” She stared at her in that way that Emily was sure would make even the FBI’s most wanted crack.

“Fine,” she sighed, and lifted the cup to her lips. _Oh._ A warmth passed through her as the sugary sweetness seeped into her veins. She audibly moaned and Penelope smirked. Her work here was done. 

“Hey, you’ve got a little - ” Emily didn’t have time to react before JJ was stepping forward and wiping cream from her upper lip. She smiled at her and the warmth pooling in Emily’s stomach increased ten-fold. She didn’t see Penelope grinning at them from behind. 

* * *  
“What size of shoe do you wear?”

Emily frowned. “Why do you need to know that?”

They’d been at the market for longer than she realised, and the evening was soon upon them, the sky fading to a deep blue. 

“Oh, no reason.” 

But she got her answer when they turned a corner and Emily was met with a familiar sight. The iconic Rockefeller Christmas tree shone like a pillar of Christmas cheer, an array of people skating along the ice-rink that surrounded it. Emily gave a sharp laugh and shook her head no. But Penelope just smiled at her in that way that said _yes._

They’d previously arranged to meet Hotch and Haley at the market. Hotch looked about as happy as Emily to find they would be ice-skating instead. But it was either that or watch the dogs, and one uneasy look at a smiling Roxie made it clear that wasn’t an option. In the end, it was Matt and Kristy that offered to look after them, waving at them from the side of the rink. 

Derek and JJ, of course, proved to be the best skaters, almost immediately challenging each other to a race, skating circles around the others. Tara was fairly proficient, able to weave around the swarms of people without much fuss. Spencer was a little clumsy, looking akin to bambi on ice, but he managed, Tara giving him a hand when needed. Penelope had no trouble, skating around with the same joyous expression as the little kids. That was until one kid went whizzing past her and sent her off balance. Luke was there in a flash, offering his hand, but Penelope just scowled, not appreciating the gesture. 

At the lower end of the spectrum, sat Hotch and Emily. Hotch was being led around the rink by Haley, who was trying her best not to laugh as Hotch shuffled his feet along at a glacial pace. He was still wearing his suit from that morning which just made the sight even more ridiculous. 

Emily told herself she was in no position to laugh, as she was currently clinging to the barrier at the side, unwilling to move. She thought the others were too caught up in their own fun when she heard the telltale skidding of skates behind her. She jumped, and nearly fell over, but the same person caught her. 

“You really like that barrier huh?”

Emily smiled through the embarrassment. “Yeah, it’s great.” She gave it a pat for good measure.

JJ shook her head with a laugh and offered her glove-covered hand. A new song sounded over the speakers, distinctively rock, but still cheesy enough to be a Christmas song. Emily couldn’t help but feel like she was being asked to dance. Still, Emily didn’t think she could ever turn down JJ’s hand. As she took it in hers and felt JJ squeeze back in reassurance, she found herself wishing there wasn’t the barrier of wool. Still, she could feel the heat radiating through. Which had her pushing down thoughts of JJ’s arms wrapped around her, warm under soft covers. 

“See, you’re a natural,” JJ’s voice brought her out of her daydream.

Emily laughed uneasily as she shuffled along the ice, JJ’s hand steadying her. “I don’t think I’ll be going for the Olympic team anytime soon.”

As they slowly but surely made their way around the rink, Emily couldn’t help thinking that it was all surreal: the mammoth Christmas tree and the hoards of families and friends all skating together in a jumbled sort of harmony. It was a scene that you saw in films, not experienced yourself. Still, the steady grip of JJ’s hand reminded her that it was real. 

“You’ll be drafted before Hotch at least,” JJ said, pointing him out as Haley struggled to haul him forward. 

Emily laughed, but it made her loose balance. Without thinking, she clung onto JJ’s arm. She made to apologise, but JJ just wrapped her other arm around her waist in response, steadying her further. Emily took a breath. “Okay, laughing bad idea.”

JJ smiled. “It’s just because you haven’t grown up skating.”

“I take it you did?”

JJ nodded as they continued to drift forward. “I played hockey a bit, but I mostly just liked to skate out on the lake by our house. It was kind of mandatory to know how.”

Emily cringed. “Well I clearly wouldn’t have fit in.”

“You could have been the cheerleader.”

Emily let out a full on belly laugh, which nearly had her toppling them both over. It was clear then that JJ wasn’t going to loosen her hold on her.

“Hotch said they’re travelling back down to San Francisco tomorrow,” JJ said, moving on the conversation.

Emily noted how that meant the couple had spent both thanksgiving and Christmas with Haley’s family and not Hotch’s. But she wasn’t about to pry. In fact, the whole topic made her feel uneasy. 

“That’s nice,” she said instead. 

She could feel JJ looking at her but she didn’t dare look back. Not only because she was terrified of falling on her face. 

“I think most of the others are travelling back home next week,” JJ continued, voice slow and clearly leading to a question. 

“Are you?” Emily asked.

There was a pause before JJ answered. “Yeah.”

An uncomfortable amount of time passed. JJ was about to ask her question when Emily beat her to it. “My flight for D.C is on the 23rd.”

“Oh.” JJ nearly stopped mid-skate in her surprise. “That’s great.”

It wasn’t great. It wasn’t anything because it wasn’t true. Emily wasn’t travelling home to see her family for Christmas. Hell, even if she wanted to see her mother, she had no clue if she’d be in D.C. And she _didn’t_ want to see her. She really didn’t. But she couldn’t let JJ or any of the others – certainly not Penelope – know that poor little Emily had nowhere to go for Christmas. She knew by now that none of them would leave her alone. They’d probably fight over who was going to bring her home with them. She already knew that Derek brought Spencer home. But she couldn’t face that. 

It hadn’t been much of an issue before, she’d just planned to stay at her apartment, and lie once the others were back, telling fake stories of what a nice time she’d had with her loving family. But then her apartment had burned down. If she’d had a key to JJ and Penelope’s she might have just stayed there. But she didn’t, and she wasn’t about to ask for one, it would be too coincidental, and they weren’t stupid - far from it. She guessed she’d just do what she would have done if JJ and Penelope hadn’t taken her in after the fire. She’d get a hotel. 

Emily was torn from her spiraling thoughts when something went zooming past them, catching them both off guard and sending them toppling over. JJ clung onto Emily’s arm as she clung to hers, both hitting the ice with little grace. Emily grumbled. How many head injuries was she to endure today? Her cheek was freezing against the ice and she rolled her head up. To be met with a beaming smile from JJ.

“This is becoming a habit for us huh?” 

Emily coughed out a laugh and JJ joined. People skated around them as they lay there on the ice, both laughing too hard to pull themselves up. When they finally stopped, JJ rolled off of Emily and offered her a hand to pull her up. They were standing upright on the ice again, but JJ was still looking at Emily with a look she couldn’t discern, like she was wondering whether to say something.

“What?” Emily asked.

JJ’s face softened. “Do you know what today is?”

Emily felt her heart skip a beat. She couldn’t have remembered? Could she?

“It’s Thursday,” Emily said, playing dumb.

JJ’s face fell and she instantly regretted it. She looked down to the ice, willing her heart to slow, before meeting her gaze again. “I… uh… I guess it’s also pretty close to when we met huh?”

JJ’s face lit up again, this time brighter than the 75 foot Christmas tree behind them. “It is. 18th of December.”

17 years to the day.

The butterflies in Emily’s stomach that she kept trying and failing to repress were in a frenzy. This didn’t feel real, but JJ’s eyes were so full of sincerity and maybe even something _more._ It made her feel like she’d fall all over again.

“Well… Happy anniversary, I guess.” It was meant to be a joke. But that didn’t stop her heart from racing as she said it.

JJ’s smile only grew. “Happy anniversary.”

* * *

That evening, when they were all getting ready for bed, Emily had gone to settle down on the couch. But the blanket and pillow she’d been using were nowhere to be seen. Automatically, she looked to JJ’s door, which was cracked open. Sergio was already making his way through. Emily fought back a smile before following suit. 

Just like JJ’s invitation, neither made mention of the awkward position they inevitably found themselves in during the night. One would wake before the other, and either silently untangle themselves before slipping out the bed. Or more often than not, allow themselves to fall back into a blissful sleep, pulling the other closer. They both pretended this could last forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's March! Are we feeling festive ?! Can't believe I was apologising for the Christmas chapter probably being written in January... Also I decided to split it into two beforehand, so it doesn't get out of control. So next week will be Christmas day! Anyway, happy anniversary emily and JJ <3 
> 
> songs:
> 
> Let it snow! - Frank Sinatra  
> What Christmas means to me - Stevie Wonder   
> Christmas time - the darkness


End file.
